Waking Dream
by Vergil Diva's chevalier
Summary: Reeve is a multi-talented junior in high-school. But feels like he's dreaming. However, perhaps what he needs to feel love is to meet a girl who never got any. And the process to learn what true love is can be a surprising one. M for violence and other.
1. Everything of the moment

First off, neither character will be revealed soon and as I said, this does not take place in the universe of Blood+. It may be a little hard to grasp but this is a completely original storyline for me so I'm not used to doing all the background myself. May eventually turn into romance as well though I'm not sure.

(Warning: Will get much darker later in the story.)

* * *

_**Dream; A series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep. An experience of waking life having the characteristics of a visionary creation of the imagination.**_

_**Daydream; A state of mind marked by abstraction or release from reality.**_

_**Dreamer; One who lives in in a world of fancy and imagination.**_

_**There are different definitions, terms and opinions on what dreams are and can be attributed to.**_

_**A dream can refer to a blissful escape from reality, or a pit into the most horrible thoughts imaginable. It can make the dull seem dynamic and the beautiful seem boring.**_

_**Sometimes you dream during the day, sometimes at night. But whenever you do dream, it is often an experience that drastically removes you from real life.**_

_**However, there are those who attribute dreaming and dreams to non-existence, to non-realism. They may argue that when you dream, nothing is real. That when you dream, nothing really matters. And when you wake up, it will have had no significance.**_

_**To these people, dreaming… is nothing but the absence of meaning.**_

* * *

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

A loud bell rang out across the whole school, signaling to students and staff alike, that the school day was over.

But the teachers often stayed quite a while even after school was no longer in session. Whether it be to plan their classes for the next day, grade papers, attend faculty meetings or the like, it truly only marked the end of the school day for students.

Some of them cheered as they realized their boring classes were over. Others simply think "It's about time". Perhaps another group of students regret the ending to a day filled with learning.

One of the students, however, barely recognizes it at all.

He is completely aware of the five high-school boys to his left discussing who the hottest and ugliest girl in their class, grade and whole school is.

The student is also aware of the eight girls who freely express, in a kind way, their jealousy over the ninth girl's fortune at having a parent who went to a clothing store before the food market and, as a result, got the last dress of the hottest fashion design for the season.

His brain processes the two teachers talking behind the classroom's main desk, one who is thirty-two, the other who is thirty-five, and assumes that they are on their third date, though he is _sure_ that they have been on _previous_ dates in the _past_.

He clicks his ballpoint pen one and slides it into a pants pocket while closing his notebook, which is aligned vertically on the desk, as well as the textbook which is organized in the same manner, though on the opposite side.

Both books are quickly lined up with each other, the lighter, smaller notebook being placed on the heavier textbook as he wedges the fingers of one hand beneath the latter so that he can pick them up and hook them to his side as he pushes the chair back and stands up.

It is Friday, the seventh of September, and school has just re-begun.

Fortunately, for most of the students, work has not matured into a full rapid-water river and is still trickling along like a tiny stream.

The Russian Revolution is the topic of this last class of his, and he has already read about it in numerous books before-hand.

Homework for the night was to write an essay discussing the vital causes and effects of the Russian Revolution. At least, it is offered as a "bonus" assignment for the students to do if they want an extra "boost" to their grades from the beginning of the year.

Most students likely wouldn't do it, as it wasn't required. Still, there were those who were worried that they might not do so well and others that simply like doing work. They would likely finish is during the weekend or perhaps even tonight.

This student had finished it in class while everyone was reading in the textbook.

It wasn't that he had skipped the reading in order to get extra credit, rather, he had already read from the textbook the night before and thus didn't need to do it today.

Since he was in his early grades, the high-school boy, or young-male as he preferred to be called when required, had gotten A+'s and high honors in every subject. Including extra ones such as physical education and creative writing.

He pushed himself away from the desk and lightly shoved the chair back underneath it while quickly walking out of the room and towards his locker out in the halls.

Though it was quite possible for him to have waited for other students as well, the "young male" disliked having to wait for the slower, lazier people in front of him to make it to their lockers before being able to move at his full pace towards his own.

The school was old, and its craftsmanship unlike modern-day brick buildings; the expansive, tall, ancient halls made of stone with polished, dark grey marble floors which complimented the pristine, silver lockers.

Not that they were never bumped into, slammed or in any other way left alone or not abused, but the janitors who kept the floors stain-free worked like devoted samurai to ensure that the lockers were preserved as well.

His locker, number one-hundred-eleven, was the same one he'd had for the past two years.

It was not a coincidence that his locker had three matching numbers. In fact, he'd requested from his parents, who were among, if not _the _wealthiest family in the entire city, to be given this locker.

Compulsiveness was not the cause for this. He simply liked eleven. And if a locker could be one-_hundred_-eleven, all the better.

As he walks down the halls, other students run by him, eager to get out of the building as soon as possible.

One in particular, collides with him as he turns a corner and both are pushed backwards.

However, while he simply takes a step back, the other student, a senior crashes to the floor.

Not a particularly hard landing. No cracking or any other sound can be heard above the repetitive and noisy footsteps and discussions.

"Watch where you're going, _alien_." The senior tells him while pushing himself back up, both looking at each other with offensive, un-amused expressions.

He stares straight in the older boy's eyes as he retorts.

"Does your voice always have that annoying, nasally quality to it?" He asks, the sophistication behind his fair, but not effeminate voice adding insult to injury.

The senior scowls and sticks his face closer.

"What was that?" He asks in an intimidating voice.

"Zyrtec can be found at any neighborhood Rite-Aid or Walgreens. Though I suppose it's too much to ask that you know how to open the hard, plastic packaging.

The fierce expression his "opponent" wears breaks apart like stone when hit by a sledgehammer.

"Ha-ha. Funnnny!" Nathan proclaims as their expressions both lose any offensiveness.

"When'd you think that one up?" He taunts the boy.

"About ten years ago, when we first met. Though back then it was excusable, now it's just embarrassing."

Nathan continues to laugh as he shakes his head.

"Fair enough. Hey, you doing anything this weekend Reeve?"

One of the teenager's eyebrows arches.

"I'm flattered, but my tastes in people has a bit more estrogen, a lot less testosterone and a whole lot more cuteness."

"Pah. Every girl I talk to can barely say a whole sentence, I'm so adorable." His friend retorts as more and more students pass by the two.

"In blissful awe or horrific terror?"

"_You're _horrific terror."

Reeve shook his head while walking past Nathan.

"Try to put some more thought into the next one. As for this weekend. No. I'll meet you at "Chemistry" tonight."

Nathan chuckled.

"You always know what's going on. What? You read the future or something?"

Reeve stopped walking away.

"There is a modernized Native American quote 'Do not try to read the future. But carefully follow the path that leads to it.' I don't _need _to read the future. Because I always know exactly what's happening in the present."


	2. Rejecting the dream

_**What is dreaming?**_

_**Is it seeing something happening as you sleep?**_

_**Is it escape from reality?**_

_**Or is it merely your mind unable to stay quiet while you slumber?**_

_**And why is it that we can sometimes find so much meaning in dreams? When it has no direct effect on reality?**_

_**If dreaming is merely watching something unfold without being able to control it, how can we distinguish it from real life?**_

_**What if you could reject things in your dreams?**_

_**Would it then still be a dream? Or would it become reality?**_

* * *

Chemistry is the name of a local club in the city's hottest area.

Though it is by far the largest and most popular club around, the owners of the social hangout are drawing fire from certain civil activist groups for its strict "No homosexuals" policy.

In fact, there are even professional-looking posters within the massive building that show opposite poles, males and females, attracting each other and the same poles, males and males or females and females, repelling the other.

"Personally, I don't have a problem with the policy. It keeps me from getting unwanted attention. But at the same time it _is _rather ignorant and discriminative." Reeve thinks as he enters the club and sees the strobe-lights, spotlights and other flashy illuminative features that make up its primary lighting.

The club is separated into two parts, the minor section and the adult section, with the only significant difference between the two being that the bars are allowed to serve alcohol and that instead of hand-dryers on the walls in the bathrooms there are condom dispensers.

This is, of course, a characteristic of the _adult _side.

"I don't understand why I come here all the time." His brain continues to elaborate while the teenager walks around the dance-crowd and looks for his friend.

Nathan is the only reason he ever comes here mainly because while both are attracted only to girls, his blonde-haired friend is always hooking up with a different one and _he _never finds _anyone _that he approves of.

After all, just because they don't have a problem showing their bodies, doesn't mean their personalities are something to be desired. And at the same time, bookworms and geeks are often not attractive enough for him and neither hold his interest for very long.

There is one thing both share in common to him though,

Both kinds _stink_.

Not just of perfume or anything else, but of impurity.

Reeve never mentions this to anyone, not even Nathan, because he knows that his friend will either consider him strange, or shrug it off.

However, Reeve can smell it so strongly it's almost as if the odor were _visible_.

Every one of them is subject, and pathetic victim to the world's rules and opinions.

All the "hot" girls are wearing the latest in fashion, fabrics, and styles and change their looks depending on what's "in" or "out".

Harsh highlights in hair have disappeared and Reeve immediately knows that the "style" has changed yet again.

At the same time, the "losers", the social outcasts, more often than not act like there is something wrong with them, and when they don't, there is usually some sort of issue at home or a traumatic experience that they've gone through in the past that he, honestly, could care less about.

Of course, you can't separate people into just those groups and have an accurate assessment of how everyone is. But that's his general distinction between them.

It isn't that Reeve hasn't been socializing and is making assumptions based on nothing. But rather, he has simply grown tired of these…._normal _people.

The teenager looks around the first floor, and spots Nathan neither in the swarm of dancers, nor in the crevices of the corner-tables. So he proceeds to walk up the styled, metal staircase to the next floor.

At once his friend's shiny blonde haired is picked out from a table positioned near the group of people dancing on the second floor as well.

And, surprise, surprise! There are two attractive, but dull-looking girls sitting right next to him.

It's possible that he is trying to go out with both. Any interference now could shatter his hopes of dating two "babes" at once.

Reeve walks towards the table, trying not to get a seizure from the constant flickering and annoying lights that splay out across this floor as well.

As he gets closer both of the girls notice him and he immediately knows he is going to attract some unwanted attention from both of them.

Nathan notices him as well, partially due to the girls' focus, and also because of his unique characteristics.

The teenager pulls out the only unoccupied chair left at the table and sits down in it, not moving it towards either of the girls to his side.

"Hey, you found me." Nathan said in a socially-inviting manner.

Reeve shrugs and gazes out at the rest of the brainless populace.

"Your irradiated hair is easy to track with an cheap nuclear-waste-sensing tracker."

Nathan chuckles in response as the girls giggle in, to him, and annoying manner.

"As smooth and complimenting as always huh?"

He looks at the blonde-haired senior directly.

"Well, this _is _America after all. Blondes are granted immunity to enough things as it is."

As the older-boy shakes his head one of the girls, adorned with blonde hair that may or may not be real, speaks up.

"Hey, what about me?" She asks, apparently trying to be "cute".

She looks too much like a whore to give off any kind of cuteness.

"Well, since that probably isn't your natural hair-color, it doesn't count."

The girl blinks a few times, apparently not knowing whether to take it as an insult or simply a neutral comment.

"But I'm an attractive male that she seems to like. So…" He thinks before she proceeds, ignoring his last sentence.

"So are those contacts or what?" The blonde asks, doing a good job of pretending to be interested.

He gazes at her, one eye red, the other violet.

Then Reeve sighs. Tired of explaining this.

"I have a condition called heterochromia, which essentially means the pigment in both of my eyes aren't the same. In addition, people naturally having red or violet eyes as a _pair _without being afflicted by albinism are less than a hundred throughout the whole world."

His extended sentence was fully intended to send out a wave of "super-ego". But she didn't seem to be deterred.

"I guess you're one in a million then, huh?"

Reeve's eyes grow exceedingly cold.

"More like one in an era."

Nathan quickly tries to change the subject, probably worried that he'll "ruin everything".

"So, Page," He asks the girl who was just questioning Reeve.

", didn't you say you're the head of the cheerleading team?"

"Page? Cheerleading team? Blonde hair? How more stereotypically spoiled teenage girl can you be?" Reeve asks himself as she answers.

"Yeah. We just helped our team win against the Briant Dreadnoughts."

Reeve feels himself chuckling inside his throat and the other three seem to notice.

"Heheheh. Hahahaha. 'helped' them? What could your little cheers do to _help _them?" He asks, knowing there's no way she can ignore this.

Her grin or whatever her mouth was in the shape of, turns to a frown.

"Cheerleading's more important than people think."

"Oh no, I agree. Jumping around and creating tall structures of skirt-wearing girls is _just _what a football team needs to focus on the game."

The frown turns into a scowl.

"You're an as-"

"So, um, ahem, how much did the team win by? I didn't hear."

Page somehow draws her evil glare from Reeve long enough to focus it on Nathan.

"We got two more touchdowns than them. I wasn't paying attention to anything else."

Once again a pathetic person's inspiration motives Reeve to laugh and this time he excuses himself.

"Nathan, I'll- haha- see in school Monday."

As he does so, however, Page bolts up from her seat and raises her voice to him. Finally showing some real aggression.

"Hey, do you have a problem with me or something?!"

His excusal from the table is completed, but he doesn't start to leave yet.

"There's nothing special about you." He states simply, not bothering to look back at her.

"You're just another cheerleader who comes from just another rich family and is just another spoiled little girl."

"Oh yeah?! And what makes _you _so special you double-eyed prick?!"

His amused grin breaks and turns into a frown.

"_I _haven't whored myself out to the world."

A chair can be heard being loudly shoved out from the table and someone pulls on his shoulder to turn him around.

Expectedly, an open hand is on an arced trajectory for his face.

However, being slapped is not something he'd enjoy. And certainly not by someone like her.

His left hand comes up and hardens itself as her hand approaches, and his knuckles meet with the soft, underarm of her wrist.

Immediately she recoils and Reeve lowers his arm.

"I don't care if you're a girl. Someone I don't like is someone I don't like to me. If you attack me again I'll hit you back. And I promise you your plastic surgery or other modifications will not appreciate it."

"Whatever, just get lost you freak."

He waits just long enough to show that leaving is his own choice and not a reaction to what she said, and then leaves, heading for a bathroom to get a free drink of water from a faucet, quickly making it there since he's been here so many times.

Though public bathrooms are something he tries to avoid, luckily no one was in here.

Briskly Reeve walks over to a faucet and turns the cool-water knob on it. Waiting for a few seconds so that is will get cold before pooling some in his hand.

"I'm smart and athletic. Attractive and social. I know how people react to things and could make anyone my friend if I wanted to. I can do anything I want because my parents are rich and I'm talented at anything I've ever tried. My morals never falter, and my feelings about the world are different than everyone else's."

He stares at his reflection in the water cupped in his fair hands.

"I'm so different from everyone else. So much better…"

"I am my own person."

Reeve throws the freezing water up into his face.

"I'm suck a _freak_."


	3. Searching for the nightmare

_**Why is it that dreams are separated into "normal dreams" and "nightmares"?**_

_**Is it so we have a concept of right and wrong?**_

_**So that we know what truly scares us?**_

_**But what if we find nightmares appealing?**_

_**How insane do we become if nightmares turn into blissful dreams?**_

_**Truly, the greatest representation of "evil" is to fully enjoy something that absolutely terrorizes you.**_

_**And why is it that soldiers, sky-divers and others who have experienced something so thrilling and dangerous only feel alive afterwards while they are doing so?**_

_**Perhaps these people and those who enjoy their nightmares have found the narrow line that divide death and life, comfort and torture and are willing to have a leg on both sides of that line.**_

_**Or perhaps they've simply tasted madness and cannot return to being something so boring as being sane.**_

* * *

Reeve slips his shoes off as he enters the foyer of his home, which is pretty much a mansion.

His parents are usually around now, but both have to maintain certain connections to "stay at the top", so occasionally go off to big, luxurious parties.

It's fine though. They have maids to clean and he can take care of himself just fine, so there's no problem.

All of the "recreation" rooms as his parents put it are on the first floor, while bedrooms are on the second.

The house shows tasteful designs from various popular architects but echoes an "old-style" with big, oak staircases and wood paneling as well as a crème color on the second story.

The overall feeling of the house though is quite warm as several reds and other warm colors are used to accent the rich wood décor.

He pulls his backpack back up onto his shoulders and walks towards his room, even though there is no work left to do.

Though there is technically only two stories, the sheer height of the first story elevates the second story to around the height of a third story on a "normal" house.

Reeve passes his parents' room and then the numerous guest rooms until he reaches a "T" intersection and takes a left, heading all the way down the hall until he gets to his own room, entering it.

It's of course, completely pitch-black since the sun went down before he'd even driven to the club, but it isn't a problem, as he knows exactly where his bed and the light switch both are

The teenager tosses his bag in a direction and reaches his hand out through the blackness and feels for the "lever".

In less than two seconds the room's light flashes on and his backpack is lying in a corner of the room.

Everything went exactly as he thought it would…

Reeve sighs at how he knew exactly what to do and walks over to his bed, exhausted for some reason.

"Not that it really matters. There's never anything meaningful to do anyway." He says out loud.

The whole room is about the size of a "normal" house's living room but it has a higher ceiling, which is white.

The "first-story" of the room is paneled with wood as well, though the tones in his room are exceedingly colder than those in the rest of the house.

Its floor is wood like the rest of the second floor, but the majority of the room's floor is covered by a large, oriental rug with random appealing designs throughout it.

His bed lies in the middle of the big room as is king-sized, as well as on a slightly-raised area of flooring.

His brand-new, high-performance computer is set up on an expensive marble desk with a comfortable, leather computer chair in front of it.

Numerous closets stretch out across a whole wall while a mini-refrigerator, not even as tall as his knee, holds whatever drinks he likes next to his computer.

On the wall opposite the door to the room are double-doors which lead out onto a small balcony that overlooks a beautiful garden in his backyard.

This time of year the whole garden looks beautiful at night, illuminated by the soft lights that are set up along a pebble path that winds through the expansive planted area.

He has more than most teenagers want.

And cares about none of it.

Reeve might as well be stuck in a bed-less cupboard beneath the stairs with nothing but a book to read for all it matters to him.

After all, what does it matter if you can fly or do anything in your dream if it never really happened to begin with?

He brings up a hand and runs it through his jet-black hair that most people who have as light of a skin tone as he does never have.

His porcelain-like skin is unnaturally pale, though not disturbingly so, and never gets burnt.

"Why am I so much better than everyone else? I can do anything I want and I can absorb things faster than everyone too. I'm neither physically weak nor intellectually under-developed. I'm not ugly and I'm naturally good at anything I try to do. But if I'm so much… If I have all of these advantages and unique traits, then why is it that I can't seem to find meaning in anything when all the other people who have so many flaws _can_?"

Was it _because _he had all of these benefits that nothing mattered? Because he never really had to work for anything?

Thinking about it hurt his brain, something that never happens otherwise.

Reeve Roswell, one of the luckiest people in the world, falls asleep, miserable.

* * *

A loud ringing noise wakes him up.

Brings him back into the dream… it's hard to distinguish what's what.

He sticks his hand into his left-pants pocket and pulls out his cell phone without even opening his eyes, flipping it open and asking who it is as if he'd been up since the morning.

"Oh, it's you."

"It's your own fault. You know I can't stand mindless eye-candy. My apologies. I wasn't aware having a "psychotic friend" would hurt your attempts at getting closer."

"See? I told you she wasn't that much of a "catch" as you would say."

"What?"

Reeve forces himself to sit up on the bed and open his eyes.

The light doesn't hurt them. Of course it doesn't, because they're so much better than everyone else's.

He sighs.

"Oh, no. It's not you. I was just thinking about something else. Sure, I'll come right now. How much do you think it will cost?"

"No, no. That's fine. I don't buy that much as it is. Okay. See you in a few minutes."

His thumb clicks the "end call" button and then he flips the cell phone closed and sticks it back in his pocket.

If it weren't for Nathan's interruptions, his life would be the exact same every single day. Though perhaps that's why they're still friends; Nathan helps give life at least _some _enjoyment.

Another sigh. And then he's heading towards the door to the hall.

* * *

"I knew there wouldn't be any parking spaces left nearby." Reeve remarks as he walks down the sidewalk that leads to, among other places, the Chemistry club.

Honestly, this part of the city isn't exactly "safe". If you look weak anyway.

The problem with having so many clubs and bars and other questionable places around is that while a lot of people simply go to have a good time, there are others attracted to them who… aren't exactly the kind of people you'd be glad to know are out on the streets.

"For example," He thinks, observing a scene unfolding right in front of him.

Some beautiful-

He blinks his eyes.

-Really beautiful girl who doesn't seem to have much sense about her is being shoved into an alleyway by at least eight guys in their early twenties who act like they stopped maturing at age thirteen.

Judging by the fact that she's looking from one man to another while being pushed into the dark alley and the comments that several of the men are making, she's either "bit off more than she can chew" or was caught on the way to her car and is about to have a _very _bad night.

"And that's why America's so wonderful." Reeve remarks with a fake patriotic spirit as he continues walking down the street, ignoring the sounds that are starting to come from the alley.

It's possible… that she isn't there by choice.

The teenager stops as he's walking down the sidewalk, and glances back at the alley.

"It definitely doesn't _sound _like she wants to be there." He thinks, noticing that whatever noises she's making sound muffled by something.

But, then again. He doesn't really _care _so Reeve just continues back down the sidewalk towards the club to pay for Nathan's car problems.

* * *

"Hey, thanks a lot man." His friend thanks him as the mechanic or whatever he is scans the credit card with some hand-held reader and hands it back to him.

He just shrugs and slides the card back into his wallet before putting the wallet back in his pocket.

"Don't worry about it. It's just money after all."

The man who just used the reader remarks something about how "Kids don't appreciate what they've got" or another disgruntled complaint since he has none of his own, and then gets to work.

"So, what're you going to do tonight?" Nathan asks him, probably trying to pay him back for the money with an engaging conversation.

Reeve smiles inwardly, if only for a moment.

It's the only thing that ever seems to make anything interesting.

"Nothing." He responds.

His friend shakes his head rubbing his hand through his hair.

"You don't seem to enjoy _anything _do ya?"

Closing his eyes for a moment, he looks back at Nathan.

"I enjoy conflicts. Those are always a challenge. Or at least somewhat enjoyable."

"You're craaaazy!"

Somehow, he laughs in response and looks at his friend's car.

"And _you're _lucky this piece of junk didn't break down _sooner_."

The senior backs away holding his arms out as if he was just given a great insult.

"Hey! That car's been in my family for three generations! It's like a memento!"

"And I can tell. Because it guzzles gasoline like a semi."

The boy just waves him off.

"Eh, you just can't appreciate it because you've got everything."

Reeve's eyes widen for a moment, seeming to overly surprise Nathan.

Not that it isn't surprising to _himself_. It actually feels like a strain to give a surprised expression.

"Uh, sorry. Didn't mean it seriously or anything-"

He turned back the way he came.

"No. Don't worry about it. You just gave me a great idea. Good luck with the scrap-heap."

Nathan laughed as he kept walking down the sidewalk.

"There's _one _thing that doesn't change regardless of how much money and everything else you have." He thinks out loud, grinning as he walks back towards the alley.


	4. Choosing feeling

(Warning: This chapter is notfor anyone who can't handle violence or other explicit content.

**

* * *

**

**We feel many different things in our dreams; happiness, humor, terror, sadness… we don't like everything we feel in our dreams, or in life for that matter.**

**But if you had to choose, would you want to dream about any of these things and keep the ability to feel all those emotions?**

**Or dream about none of these things and never feel anything again? **

* * *

He walks down the sidewalk, in anticipation.

It's a weird feeling; being eager to do something that's dangerous.

The alleyway is not that far away, and he can't wait to see what's happening.

Only one desire is in his mind; to fight.

That's the only thing that you can easily do that doesn't pay any attention to how much money you have. Your intelligence, your "connections", your "family" or anything else.

It is the one thing that can make a dream seem like it's real life.

Anyway, that's what he's guessing as the alleyway draws ever closer.

His footsteps cease and Reeve concentrates hard.

"Wait, this is insane. I'm being like a madman."

A deep breath, and he's fine again.

To be honest, he had no idea what had come over him, he really_ was_ turning psychotic.

The alleyway finally appears in front of him, and he _knows _that there's something going on in the alley.

Imagine the stereotypical dark alley; it's long, and the ground is moist and clammy.

The outdoor corridor delves farther and farther into darkness and while you know it can be more than a hundred feet deep and civilization surrounds it, there just never happens to be anyone around to hear your screams; to help you.

So, as if you were trapped in space, there isn't anything you can do as whoever is chasing after you corners you in this miserable alley, not twenty minutes away from a precinct full of policemen and women.

"Enough thinking about it." Reeve tells himself, walking down the alley.

Sounds of violence can be heard; punching, kicking, breaking, crunching, cutting, grunting… and as the sounds grow louder as he journeys deeper and deeper into the place the violators can be heard, enjoying what they're doing.

Reeve has never been the type of person to overly care about how people treat others. With the single exception perhaps being Nathan.

But as he gets closer and closer to the "room" at the back of the alley he realizes that these sounds are not of humans. They're of _animals_.

Wild animals that enjoy hurting simply because they can. Who enjoy destroying something simply to watch it break.

This is the first time he's really cared about anything in particular.

He cares that he is supposed to share a species with these disgusting, sadistic pigs.

Finally, the large area in the back of the long alley is in fully view, and five men watch what the remaining three are doing, blocking view of it.

However, Reeve's senses have, like every other characteristic of his, always been greater than normal people's, and he can _hear _what's happening.

As he grows closer the teenager can _see _it _too_.

It makes him want to throw up.

The three men were doing exactly what he'd _thought _they were doing, they were raping the girl.

It wasn't just that though.

The monsters, as he refused to accept them as humans now, were hitting the girl, despite the fact she was no longer resisting, and her beautiful features had been battered and broken to the point that he was surprised the girl wasn't in a coma from the shock.

Her hair was exceedingly long, even for the modern day and looked like it would reach her feet were she standing up and if it wasn't bound in the back man's hands like some kind of leash.

Whatever she had been wearing didn't deserve to be called clothes anymore and anything that would "want" to be seen, was.

Her skin was pale, like his, but had various red markings pretty much everywhere, showing how serious any damage to her was, since it bypassed simple "black-and-blues".

The girl's eyes, or eye, as the other one was swollen shut from some sort of blunt force, would open whenever she was hit particularly hard, and was such a pure blue that is was hard to believe someone could do such a thing to anyone who had such eyes.

She was completely "filled" up and already had "deposits" on her face, lower back, and legs.

He couldn't be sure, but, it looked like blood was mixed in as well.

It was absolutely all he could do now to simply keep from throwing up, and the nausea just would _not _recede.

Tears were flooding from her eyes, and when one of the men stuck his finger on the salty stream and brought his finger up to his face, licking it, that was simply it.

Reeve took off any rings he had on and his watch as well, putting them all in a tight, pants pocket, before he leaned over and picked up a piece of brick that had fallen from a building that made up the alleyway.

"I truly wish I hadn't kept myself from going insane." The _extremely _pissed off young-male thought before chucking the piece of brick at the back of the biggest-looking man's neck and he heard a satisfyingly-loud crack come from him even as he ran towards another and drop-kicked him right in the face as he turned around, sending him back into a wall and hitting the back of his head hard against it before sliding down it to the ground, his eyes rolled up into his head.

One of the other three who had made up the "line" tried to stomp on him, but Reeve rolled away and came up near a wall, seeing a large fist heading for his eye.

He forced himself out of the way, and heard the previously-intimidating fist crack as it hit the brick wall in full force.

It must have hurt more than could be imagined as he grabbed the fist, which was good, and twisted the man around to face the two who were trying to get to him while the remaining three seemed to be deciding whether to continue torturing the poor girl or join in on the fight.

But he wasn't going to give them enough _time _to decide, and brought his captive's head back, kneeing it where the skull met the top of the neck and then in the most sensitive part of the spine, taking him out of this fight permanently as the other two came at him.

Reeve ducked under yet another punch and jabbed the man in-between some ribs, causing him to stagger away.

However, before he could turn around, two big, bulky arms came around him and brought him into a big, restraining bear hug.

The three who had continued their "fun" laughed derisively at him as the one he'd just hit started to come after him.

"Wait! The pipe! Over there!" The one who was tearing open her back "door" pointed out, aiming at the thing.

"Yeah! Use that! Tear him up!"

The wounded man made for the pipe as Reeve was held immobile, looking at the girl who's single open-but-bloodied eye stared at him as she was torn by the people who were easily five years older than her.

His own body trembled as the man picked up the pipe and brought back with one arm while holding his ribs with the other.

"Fine." He said, more to himself than the sadistic trash that stood around him.

Reeve made his skull as hard as he could and slammed back into the other man's nose two or three times before the hold was released, and he dove under the steel pipe's path as it sailed past him and smashed open the other man's head.

In the same movement he kneed the pipe-wielder in the groin and pushed him in the direction he'd been going in- right into the corner of a wall.

Even as the pipe dropped from his hands, Reeve took it as his own weapon and glared at the… things.

The girl's arms, legs and head were held completely still, but there was _one _thing she could do, and she did it.

A scream the likes he'd never heard erupted from the man at her "face" as he separated from her, holding the middle of his pelvis, and she spat the remains out.

The "front" man pulled out of her and zipped up his pants, but wasn't quick enough to avoid getting a spinning pipe in the neck, and he went down like all the others, as the "de-privileged" one was lying on the ground, still gripping the same area, and breathed in and out at a shaky pace.

"You think you've saved her, punk?!" The man from behind her yelled, pull her head up and bringing a knife up to it.

Her working eye stared at the thing in absolute dread and terror as the knife pressed against her throat.

"Get the hell out of here."

Reeve didn't move.

The blade was pressed further against her throat and he "hit" her from behind, making her let out something between a plead and unintelligible blabber.

"Or do you want me to bleed her?"

The teenager calmly picked up the steel pipe.

"You won't do that." He told the man with absolute confidence.

"Oh really?" The bastard asked hysterically, reaching forward and gripping her chest possessively as they stood each other down.

"And why's that?"

Reeve stared into the pig's eyes with a look that could only be attributed to a wolf glaring at it's prey as it prepared to tear the thing's throat out.

"Because you know that the second you do, this is going to break your head open."

He began sweating from more than just the "effort" he'd been putting into her and his free hand returned to simply holding her still.

"If I promise to you that I won't kill or stop you from escaping from this alley, I'll keep that promise."

"The hell you will." He responded near-instantaneously.

"It's your only hope out of this." Reeve offered.

The now-beady-looking eyes darted from the side of the girl's face to him, then back to her, then back to him.

"Fine!" He yelled, pushing the girl forward as he prepared to "withdraw".

The pipe spun through the air and broke several of his ribs on both sides of his torso even as Reeve ran forward and pulled the knife from the girl throat, breaking the "man's" arm in the process.

It gasped for breath.

"Y- you…said…y- y- you wouldn't…."

The patience-less teenager stabbed through the animals groin and twisted the blade, ensuring the wound wouldn't close and making the thing start to lose consciousness.

"I didn't. I never promised."

The eyes closed, and the fight was over.

The three fell to the ground, and the girl grabbed around his body as he slowly lowered her.

"Th- th- tha-"

"Don't worry about it." He spoke softly, not paying attention to the fact he'd never said anything this way before.

"We have to pull you away." Reeve told her.

Her grip around him tightened and she nodded.

He put both hands against her, and pushed off from the rapist with a shoe, withdrawing the "thing" from her and making both her and himself fall to the ground, him hitting the ground.

Unfortunately, her arms were hurt since they were on the bottom and she withdrew them quickly while trembling from the continuous dose of pain.

"Sorry." He apologized to her, standing up and pulling her up with him.

"I'm going to take you to where I live. You'll be safe there."

She looked up at him, terrorized again.

"Don't worry. I'm not anything like…them. I won't do a single thing to hurt you."

Considering the situation, there was absolutely no reason to assume she would believe him. And there was no reason for _her _to believe he was _genuine_.

But, she'd obviously figured out that he had no intentions of harming her.

So, the battered and torn-up girl hesitantly nodded and he started to help her walk back down the alley.

When her legs were revealed to be too damaged. He _carried _her.


	5. Endure a nightmare give a dream

**_What do you do in a dream when you see someone you love suffering?_**

**_Do you wake up?_**

**_Or do you try to turn the nightmare back into a normal dream?_**

**_Or… do you keep yourself asleep and stay with your loved one as they suffer? Caring more about their suffering than your own?_**

* * *

Reeve stuck his head out of the alley and looked from side to side.

Surprisingly, despite how much noise had been made, there didn't seem to be anyone around.

It was a lucky thing too, as teenage a male putting a beaten up teenage_ female_ into a car probably wouldn't look very inconspicuous.

He leaned her down against the side of the car, making sure to keep an arm around her in case her legs gave out again, and unlocked the vehicle.

Of course, it gave a chime as it did so, and the girl leapt away from the offending noise.

Luckily, because he hadn't let go of her, Reeve was able to keep her from falling on her face and held her still as he told her what the sound had been.

She calmed down after that.

"Do you want to sit in the front seat or the back seat?" He asked her calmly.

Her eyes blinked and looked from side to side at the same time.

The girl began to swallow, seeming unable to decide, but began coughing when her lungs turned out to be too damaged to easily let her do so.

She tried to lean forward, but he held her still and upright, making her coughing worse momentarily and causing her eye to flash him a fearful look of distrust.

"If you stay up completely your lungs have a better chance of allowing it to pass." He told her.

In a second her coughing ceased and she leaned forward, putting a weak, beaten hand on his arm.

He understand the appreciative gesture and decided that putting her in the backseat would probably be ideal; as it would be less likely that she would be spotted.

"Wait here for a moment." Reeve told her as he began to walk back towards the trunk.

However, her hand didn't let go and she stumbled after him, falling into his back.

Such a thing should have bothered him…

"Don't worry. I'm just getting you something to wear." He told her before leaning the girl against the side of his car again and moving around behind it to open the trunk.

Though it was the beginning of September Reeve always kept a long coat just in case he needed one, and though it was uncomfortable it would cover her whole body.

After another second of thinking, he grabbed a bottle of water as well and closed the trunk.

He slowly pulled her away from the door and opened it for her.

The light in the back turned on as the door opened, and she looked away from it, closing her working eye.

Reeve, instead of waiting for her to be willing to look at the light, nudged her inside and had her lie down across the backseat, putting the coat and bottle of water down next to her in the foot-space.

"This is going to be a bit loud." He told her, waiting a few seconds before closing the door as quietly but as forcefully as he could, so that it would close all the way.

Despite this, her body still jerked when the door closed and he gave an inward sigh as he walked around the side of the car, glancing back down the alley to make sure none of the "people" had been able to come after them.

It was quite possible they were all dead, but Reeve doubted he would care even if he _did _usually mind people's suffering.

"I wonder why I care about this girl at all." He thought while opening the driver's side door and getting in.

He glanced back at her and saw that she'd, or at least attempted to, bring the coat over herself, facing in towards her seat.

But while it covered her lower body, the heavy bruises and scrapes on her back could be easily made out, even in the fading light of the car.

Reeve turned the car on and pulled it away from the curb after closing his door and drove out onto the street; beginning to make his way home.

However, while he made it past the first light with no problem, a red hue lie in one of the sockets at the next stop and he brought the car to a halt.

As he did, Reeve felt a hand come up and lay itself on his shoulder, and glanced back to see the girl hiding herself behind his seat as she held onto him, glancing past him at the rest of the world outside.

From what he could tell, she had amnesia, or at the very least, was still stuck in shock.

But even as she was now; her face beaten and cut, a eye to bruised to open itself, the girl, when he looked at her, still managed an attempt at a smile.

He didn't know why. But, that this girl could still try to smile, after something so horrible had been done to her, made his own mouth momentarily curve upwards-

-but was interrupted when someone honked their car horn at him from behind and she once again withdrew to the relative safety of the cover in back and he pushed down on the gas pedal, able to tell there was neither a car headed for him nor one turning a corner as he drove through the now-green light and back towards his home.

* * *

Reeve was immensely grateful at this time that his parents were at one of their parties.

And, since it was around eleven o'clock now all of the maids had already gone home for the day.

"Lucky me." He thought, not even being able to remember with his level of intelligence how many times he'd thought the same thing before.

But is what strange how this time he was actually _grateful _for it.

Though his parents' house's driveway wasn't a mile long like all mansions are made to seem like they do in movies, it was long enough for him to be confident that when he pulled his car up into the driveway and turned it off, getting ready to exit the vehicle, that no one would see the girl.

She had been trying to drink from the water bottle as they drove, but hadn't sounded like there was any progress being made, so perhaps he'd have to help her with _that _as well.

Not that it bothered him. But _that _it didn't bother him was a strange thing.

Reeve opened the car door for her and she looked up at him, not seeming to understand.

"Come on, there's somewhere else I want to take you."

Her expression revealed hesitation but when he reached out his hand, the palm facing up, her wariness dissipated.

He wasn't grabbing her hand, he was _offering _his _own_.

At first her own didn't seem sure it wanted to, but slowly the girl's arm rose and her fragile-feeling hand placed itself in his own.

His hand pulled her out of the back seat and up to him.

Immediately he felt a wet feeling pressing against his chest and looked down at the girl, who was looking away from him like a puppy does when it knows it's done something wrong.

"S- sorry." She managed to say.

It took less than a second for him to determine that she must have just spilled some water on it, and forgot about the insignificant problem soon after.

"Don't worry about it. Water isn't a problem for clothes." He told her while helping the girl up out of the car. And closing the door behind him.

Luckily there wasn't anything else for him to carry, so Reeve simply locked the car and half-carried, half-supported the girl as they walked along a stone path across an immaculate lawn of flowers to the front door to the house.

She seemed entranced by some of the flowers in particular, but he wasn't paying good enough attention to notice which ones they were as he opened the door to his large home.

The girl was immediately overwhelmed by the shear size of the foyer and he tried to get her over to the staircase as quickly as possible; the less she felt overpowered by everything around her the better.

It took a very long time for the girl to make it up all of the steps on the large and long staircase, even with his help, but despite the situation, he wasn't feeling impatient at all.

When they finally reached the top of the steps she took another one forward and began to fall, since her foot stepped into the air.

But he barely let her fall an inch before catching the girl and helping her back to her feet.

As a result, she leaned against him for the rest of the trip to his room at the back of the house's second floor, even as he opened the door to his room and walked both of them inside it.

Her eyes moved across the big room-

-and came to a halt as they spotted the bed.

Reeve felt the girl tremble against him as closed the door behind both of them and guessed that her last experience had not been the only one of that nature for her.

Somehow he kept from trembling himself, though his was inspired by a significantly more violent desire than simple fear.

But there wasn't anything he could really say that would make her feel better at this point, so he walked her increasingly-nervous body closer and closer to his bed before lying her down on it.

A painted light-switch was embedded into the side of the headboard for his bed and he lowered the intensity of the light.

"Trust me." He told her, not going into a long explanation.

Her eye gazed into his multiple working ones, and she hesitantly nodded.

Reeve returned the nod and backed away from the bed as he walked over to the small refrigerator near his computer, opening it up and pulling out a small bucket of water.

He'd gotten it when he was still doing some after-school activities and while he often was able to do most exercises and the like with little-to-no sweat involved, occasionally he would need to put some cold water on his face when he came back home, and had quickly gotten tired of going to the kitchen and then back to his room every day of the week.

She didn't seem to understand what the purpose of the pail of water was for, and peered at the thing with what could have been described as suspicion, if she didn't look so intimidated.

Setting the bucket of water down, he gestured for the girl to move forward.

Of course, she didn't know what the gesture meant, so he reached out with both hands and pushed her down on the bed, splaying the girl out across as much of it as she could cover.

He reached up to the coat, which she held across her body, and touched her hand, the other arm lying at her side.

"We need to clean you up." He told her, gently pushing her hand off of the coat and bringing it to its own side.

He reached down into the bucket of water and gripped the sponge, pulling it out and squeezing excess water from it before bringing it up to her face.

The girl's head pushed itself down into the mattress as far as it could go, but he put a hand on the side of her head as he brought the sponge to her face.

Her own hand came up to hold the top of his as the sponge approached her face and her whole body trembled as it waited for the unknown object to do as it was going to do to her.

It wiped away a bloodstain on her cheek and her trembling ceased, her mind at the point where she was probably so surprised everything stopped working.

As he cleaned the rest of the blood and grime from her face, the thing in question remained perfectly still, and her hand came away from his.

"Close your eyes." He told her quietly, the girl immediately obliging as he rubbed the sponge across her swollen eye and brushed it clean.

Reeve finished cleaning her face and re-soaked the sponge in the bucket of water as he proceeded to her neck area.

The water that he squeezed out onto it seemed to help her breath, as she gave a big exhale as he did so.

There were still marks where her neck had been gripped before and just the faintest outline of the knife could be seen right below her chin, but luckily for her any damage to the neck seemed to be superficial, so while she would have a hard time swallowing for a while, it was nothing that required anymore serious attention then a good few day's rest.

Her collar-bones were sensitive as the skin around them twitched when the cold water was brushed over them, but they didn't seem to be broken.

Reeve brought the sponge over to one of her shoulders-

-and realized it was dislocateed.

"Now that I think about it, I don't remember her really using that arm." He thought while going back to the other shoulder, which was thankfully in place.

As he finished with that, the sponge found its way back to her throat, and came down to wash under_neath _her collar bones.

The teenager reached back down into the bucket and once again filled the sponge with water.

But as he cleaned the shallow valley between her collar bones the extra water streamed further down her chest and made the girl's body "hop" up as the cold water froze its way down her body.

He dropped the sponge back into the bucket, ignoring the small droplets of water that scattered out of it and flew onto his own face.

"Sorry. You can take a shower later to clean the rest of you."

Whether or not she knew what a shower _was _he didn't know, but this was fine for now.

His eyes fell upon her dislocated shoulder. The whole arm was remaining completely at her side. And while the dislocation was fairly hard to see, human anatomy and joint injuries had been of particular interest to him as he was learning about it, since it shows you things about your body that you cannot normally tell are there or are going on.

The main problem was, that dislocated shoulders often were treated in hospitals, something he could not afford at the moment.

It wasn't that the medical bill, even without insurance, was too much. But rather that he couldn't afford to bring the girl out to a place, let alone be required to fill out paperwork for someone who's _name _he didn't even know.

However, since it didn't seem to be all that bad, he could probably fix it right now.

"Sit back up." He told her, trying not to make it sound like a command or anything.

She did so and came up to him.

The coat was held against her once again, but the other arm still wasn't moving.

"Your arm…is dislocated." He told her, the girl's gaze momentarily darting to her shoulder.

"I can fix it." Reeve continued, looking into the girl's eye.

"But it will hurt."

She began trembling again.

He waited for half a minute before speaking again.

"It's your choice. If I fix it your shoulder will hurt very badly for a few moments. But if I don't, it will not work and will hurt until it _is _fixed."

The girl looked down, not at him, or anything else for that matter, in thought.

She tried to respond, but all that came out of her throat was a squeak-like sound.

"You don't have to say anything. If you want me to fix your shoulder, nod your head. If you don't want me to, shake your head."

Her eyes looked into his, the bruised one even managing to peer out.

His red and violet eyes met her blue ones, and something connected between them.

She broke their eye contact, and nodded her head.

Reeve pulled the girl to him, both putting an arm around the other as his right arm came up to her left shoulder.

He waited until it seemed like she was ready, finding the right place to grip.

"It's just pain." The young person told her, an awkward and vain attempt to make her feel better as he pushed her shoulder back into its right position, making her cry out in pain as the arm, and the new one that worked as well, both gripped his back hard enough to dig her nails into his back.

His pain was barely worth a mention though, compared to hers. And he didn't give a sign that he was in any discomfort as her hold slowly loosened itself.

"You can move it now, right?" He asked, foregoing sensitivity for the moment to find out if it had worked.

The girl nodded and he lay her back down on the bed entirely.

She blinked up at him with the one eye that worked entirely, her expression somewhat curious now, and not showing too overt signs of fear.

Reeve was glad that both her eyes worked, though. He couldn't fix a problem like that if there had been a serious one.

He reached to the light remote and turned off the illumination to the room while lying down himself.

The girl seemed to settle herself in as well and he went to sleep.


	6. How you know you're awake

**Have you ever had a dream where you think you've woken up, but you haven't?**

**And when you finally do wake up, there is that feeling that you're still asleep.**

**Perhaps what makes you know that you're awake is you feel the person sleeping next to you, or maybe it is cold in the room.**

**In that way, the only difference between dreaming, and being awake, is that you feel things.**

* * *

Though the heavy curtains to either side of the balcony door kept all sunlight from passing through them, the tiny area that they did_ not_ cover allowed a sliver of sunlight to play into the room, almost like a natural laser pointer.

The unfortunate part of this was that it was beaming directly onto Reeve's face.

As a result, he was forced to awaken prematurely when the sun was just starting to rise.

Trying to stretch every muscle in his body with as little of movement as possible, the teenager rolled over to lie down further into the middle of his bed-

-and came face to face with the girl he'd saved last night.

It wasn't like Reeve to forget something important. Or, for that matter, forget _anything_. But he'd forgotten that the girl from last night was lying on the bed with him.

Their faces were so close he could feel the air coming from her mouth as she slept.

Her breathing sounded completely different from his; a quiet, feminine voice breathed out through her mouth as opposed to a deeper, louder and more efficient one.

The girl's face had already seemed to have healed quite well. She must have had one hell of a metabolism as the cuts on her face were already starting to heal slightly and the swelling around her eye area had decreased significantly as well.

It made things a bit harder.

Though she had pulled the coat over her last night, she had not buttoned it up around her, so now the coat was half off the entire bed, and only covered her top shoulder.

Reeve should have immediately turned away and faced the completely opposite direction.

But instead all he did was push himself away slightly and examined her.

The remains of what seemed to be some sort of dress had apparently been her clothes at one point. Though it's original color couldn't be discerned easily due to any filth that was on it he would assume it had first been black.

However, what appeared to have already been a wide neckline had been torn open down past her chest and the skirt portion had been slit down the sides.

Of course, his mind immediately told him to stop looking at her, but for some reason, he was unable to stop.

Perhaps because there were a lot of hormones in his body.

Luckily, he managed to switch his attention to her hair, which, despite being dirty, still maintained a sort of bluish hue across the whole, long mane of black hair.

On her head her hair had been pulled out of any sort of style by hands pulling her face forward or holding it still from behind, though there appeared to be a part in her original style.

The girl's lips still maintained a distinguished color, though whether that was remnants of lipstick or if it was her natural lip color was something he was unsure of.

Her face didn't even need the extra cosmetics that most girls her age used, and seemed to have a natural appeal to it, any lighting putting certain shadows on her face that almost made it seem like she was always wearing something.

As he'd seen last night, her skin was as pale, if not paler, than his was, and yet she didn't seem to have any sorts of burns anywhere on her body.

Her dress had been torn in numerous other places, but the missing sleeve of the same arm that had been disconnected stood out among the others as it was the only thing that had simply gotten torn off, while the other sleeve of the dress had simply been ripped in numerous places.

She was, of course, asleep. No amount of hormones in the world could force him to examine her entire appearance while her eyes were staring straight at him, regardless of who she was or of the fact that he didn't know her.

Of one thing he was _overwhelmingly _sure though.

Out of every girl he had ever watched, observed, and "examined" both physically and mentally, she was by far the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

There was something he couldn't explain. She hadn't fought back when those rapists were pulling her into the alley, and her face was, right now, not in very good shape. Weaknesses, you could say, in both mental and physical ways.

But nevertheless, to him, she was more beautiful now than any other girl he'd ever seen when they were at their "hottest".

Reeve liked the way she slept, liked the way she'd tried to smile even though her spirit should have been crushed. He liked how her hair was so long, and how she was naturally so attractive, with no cosmetics required.

He liked that she'd looked straight into his "evil" eyes and gave him a look of complete trust and reliance.

Reeve liked…this girl.

Luckily for both of them, her arms were pulled down in front of her chest and her legs were pulled up in front of her pelvis.

This made reaching over her and pulling a blanket onto her easier.

As Reeve finished pulling the blanket over her, one of the girl's hands reached out from under it and lightly took hold of his wrist.

It was her left one.

It didn't hurt at all, nor did he feel trapped by her feather-light grip. But for some reason he couldn't pull away from it.

The teenager didn't know how long it had been since she touched his wrist, but eventually, the girl's immaterially inescapable grip tightened, and both eyes began to open, though the beaten one still had a day or two to go before it would look normal again.

Though her expression was tired and droopy, as her eyes slid open, the hue of her eyes was like pure energy.

They didn't radiate color. And they didn't need to. Behind the beautiful eyes, if you looked at them for the right reason, there was an immensely-deep well of feeling.

Her mouth curved upwards when her gaze fell upon him and it gladdened him to know she was happy he was the person nearby.

The girl's eyes momentarily glanced down to their touching hands and she meekly withdrew the delicate hand.

"Good morning." He told her, trying to sound as calm as possible in case she might still feel overwhelmed.

"Good…" She began, but her voice failed to carry out the length of the sentence and failed.

However, she seemed more embarrassed by this than saddened and blushed, reminding him of the contrasting pinks and whites in a Japanese sakura blossom.

"Don't worry about it." He told her quietly.

"Your throat should be fine by sometime today."

The girl nodded, though it was obvious she was just acknowledging him.

She stared directly into his eyes, stilling his entire head as if she had it between her hands.

Their eyes gazed into the other's for almost a minute before he quickly looked away.

"Sorry…probably not the kind of thing you wanted to see when you woke up." He apologized, referring to his eye colors.

Suddenly though, in the first gesture of assurance he'd seen her give, the girl brought a slender hand up to his cheek and pulled his face back to look at hers.

"Pretty." She spoke before her voice had the chance to break.

His eyes blinked as he looked away, replacing a blush, and she even managed a giggle. Though it lasted a second at most.

After the shyness had subsided and her hand fell back down to the bed, he asked her how her arm felt.

A briefly-wider smile than before and a careless glance to her left shoulder indicated it was no longer a problem.

Reeve almost felt himself start to smile while pushing himself up-

-and felt a pain right below his shoulder and next to the spine.

His expression became a frown and irritated eyes, scaring the girl as he reached around to his back and tried to fix it.

But he only succeeded in making the pain worse for several seconds until he found what the problem was; a group of condensed muscles balled up together.

After several moments of pushing against the sphere of muscles with his hand he finally managed to separate them. Though as he did so the feeling it gave him was so strange he felt himself jerk forward, and fall right on top of the girl.

Though Reeve managed to thrust his arms out in order to keep himself from _landing _on her, it must have just intimidated her that much more as she shrunk down into the bed.

As the seconds dragged on that he held himself above her, somehow unable to move away, the girl's expression looked more curious than just plain terrified, and he felt his arms bending to bring them closer…

He shook his head as he pushed himself away, back to his previous position.

"I'm sorry. My muscles were all constricted-"

The teenager realized she wouldn't understand and simply told her that his back had hurt and that it would not happen again.

She didn't give any visible or audible response.

Awkwardness filled the silence and he finally spoke up.

"My name is Reeve Roswell." He introduced himself, looking at her again.

She looked up at him as he sat against the headboard and she lay, only slightly raised, on the mattress.

"…Reeve?" The girl asked.

He nodded.

Her eyes blinked and she seemed to be scanning her mind.

"I am…"

His patience wasn't exactly limited, but he didn't want her to have to think too hard.

"Can you tell me what _your _name is?" He asked, making it an official question.

She frowned again and looked down in defeat and sadness.

The girl shook her head.

Reeve waited a few moments before telling her she didn't need to remember.

"Your memory will come back. Just wait."

She nodded her head, though there was obviously a lack of enthusiasm.

He had not noticed it before, but behind her eyes, that well of feeling he'd spotted before… it seemed to have a more _specific_ feeling behind _it_. The girl…

"Are you sad?" Reeve asked her, aware that it was usually a strange question to ask, but assuming that she did not remember enough about people to be able to distinguish between different kinds of questions.

Her eyes drifted up to look at him.

His hardened personality broke like fragile glass hit by a sledgehammer as her eyes spoke the emotion her mouth did not need to.

Asking why she was sad would be pointless right now, not to mention even if she hadn't lost her memory the night before, it alone would have been a traumatic enough experience to make her depressed.

After a few moments, Reeve decided to go get her something else to wear.

Of course, he obviously didn't have any dresses for her, and his mother was analytical enough for him to hesitate taking one of hers to give to the girl. So at the moment all he had to offer her was a shirt that would just be long enough to cover the very top of her lower body, which was fortunate for the both of them.

Someone he knew had gotten it for him for his birthday, but while its stitch-woven patterns that looked like vines stretching across the white shirt made it appealing, it was too big for him at the time.

There were five closets in total across the wall.

Sometimes he organized the clothes he put in them, and sometimes he didn't. But it didn't matter, since he always knew exactly where everything he'd put was.

"Second from the left." He thought in his head.

Reeve opened the closet and pushed aside some random designer long-sleeve shirts as he searched for it.

His knowledgeable hands only took about ten more seconds to find the thing before he pulled the shirt off its hanger and then the closet, closing the narrow wooden door on either side.

As he turned around, he noted with something mildly approaching surprise that the girl had followed him, though she still seemed to weak to be able to push the large buttons through the tight slits that they were meant to go through, and was simply holding the thing covered around her front.

It was amusing, but for some reason he didn't laugh at her as he walked over to the girl.

"Here." He told her, holding out the soft shirt. Though anything would feel soft compared to the coarse wool that the thing was made out of.

"It's not as long as the coat, but I think you'll find it's rather easier to put up with wearing."

She blinked before looking down at the shirt, hesitating for a moment.

He didn't move at all, knowing she was simply waiting to see if it was "safe". Like a squirrel coming out from its home to grab an acorn.

It took a few more moments, but she reached out with one of her hands and put it on the shirt.

Unfortunately, she seemed unaware of the laws of physics, as when he let go of the shirt she hadn't gripped it and the thing began to fall.

Luckily he was quick enough to catch the thing right before it hit the ground.

Well, it wasn't really that important, but whatever.

He started to stand up and saw that the girl was only holding the coat closed near her torso…

And he bolted up quicker than normal, causing her to step back.

"Sorry." He apologized.

Reeve lightly took hand of hers into one of his and pushed the shirt into it with his other hand.

"Try to close your hand when you're holding it." He instructed her as if she were a four-year-old.

Of course, she didn't know anything about the world, so it probably wasn't that inappropriate.

The girl did so, and seemed satisfied with herself when the shirt didn't fall to the ground.

"I'll go to another part of the room as you put it on." He told her before heading for his computer.

She didn't respond even after he'd sat down in the computer-chair and shook the mouse a bit.

He didn't like to shut his computer down completely, whenever possible. Since it took a while for it to start up and he was always eager to do anything that could keep him occupied.

As the hi-definition screen flicked on out of blackness, the only thing that remained on it was a tiny blue rose in the middle of his screen. The rest was still black.

The only reason he had anything on there at all was because blue roses were supposed to mean "mystery".

It only took him a few seconds to decide that he'd check on how his Limewire downloads were going.

Since the thing was already open all he had to do to open it was click on its icon and the program filled the screen.

"Need more sources huh?" He asked in his head.

After seeing this, Reeve spent the remaining time doing random searches for anything that was online.

Most of the things he found were rap, hip-hop and music videos, but there were a few other things as well.

Not that he really liked _any _of them, of course.

"Little Wayne, Ghost-face killers…" He droned in his head, always having absolutely refused to use that retard-way of saying things. There were very few things that he found offensive no matter what the situation. Stupidity and words that intentionally portrayed it was one of those things.

"Hannah Montana, Brittany Spears, Black Sabbath, Blood Plus-"

He blinked.

That was a weird name.

Usually the only things that mentioned blood were tough-sounding heavy metal bands or the like. But "Blood Plus" didn't sound like it was meant to be tough at all.

Reeve shrugged and downloaded the file.

It wasn't an unrealistic amount of megabytes, and if nothing else he was curious as to what the thing sounded like.

There wasn't a song title but-

He felt a hand touch his back lightly, and he turned to face the girl, who now wore only the shirt, as he rose from the chair.

She seemed embarrassed. Though she had good reason to be. After all, it turned out his shirt covered even less of her than he'd thought.

"Sorry. I guess I was wrong about how much of you it would cover." He apologized, honestly surprised he'd gotten something _wrong_.

The girl had already left the coat behind and seemed to misinterpret what he wanted.

She stood there as if waiting for him to do something and Reeve mentally cursed himself for this.

Of course she would assume he just wanted to make her "look good".

"Sorry, I don't have anything else for you to wear but pants."

She blinked up at him, seeming surprised he was offering to give her something for her lower body as well, but brought her arms in as if to protect them.

"T-that's…okay. I- I- I'll b- be fine." She stuttered out.

"Well, once you're all better, we'll go buy you some new clothes to wear." He told her, not really sure if he meant it, or was just trying to make her feel better.

Nevertheless, she seemed happy and swept up in his mention of getting something for her and nodded, smiling.

"Of course. She probably hasn't ever gotten anything before aside from a fist or-"

Reeve felt his thoughts get cut off as she moved closer to him and put her head against his chest, bringing up her hands to rest on his shoulders.

For all intents and purposes, he was a statue.

He didn't know why she'd done what she just did, but he found it completely impossible to pull away, just as he had before when she touched his hand on the bed.

"Thank you." She spoke to him quietly.

There hadn't been single problem with the way she said it and that just made it harder for him to breath.

When Reeve thought he was about to pass out from the air getting caught in his chest, he brought his own hands up to her arms.

"You don't need to thank me."

She looked up at him, combining the begging eyes of a dog and a cat alike, but didn't say anything.

"When you're able to walk around wherever you want without any marks on you, and with new clothes, maybe I'll accept it." He told her, noticing just now that he was smiling.

The girl stood there for a few moments longer, and then she hugged him.


	7. Simple things

_**Dreams aren't always fantastical.**_

_**Sometimes they can be about going to a supermarket.**_

_**Other times it can simply be dreaming about the day you just lived.**_

_**While still others it is simply performing a simple task innumerable times.**_

_**These things we may grow bored with in real life, but why is it when we dream that we can't tear ourselves away from it?**_

_**If experienced correctly, simple, seemingly menial things can sometimes be absolutely entrancing.**_

* * *

His arms stood completely still and stiff in the air, every single nerve ending throughout his entire body on high alert as the seconds dragged on, the girl not releasing him from the hug.

He didn't tremble.

He didn't waver.

Reeve didn't do _anything_. He simply remained completely still, incapable of reacting to the contact.

It wasn't that he hadn't been hugged before. The same could be said of girls his own age.

When he felt "better" than usual he noted that girls, as a result of interacting with him, sometimes gave him hugs for reasons he didn't understand.

But he _knew _why she was hugging him this time, yet it didn't enable him to do anything.

He was virtually a slave to her will for almost a full minute… before his arms lowered and crossed over her back, hugging the girl in return.

Reeve hadn't done that. How did his arms move?

Limbs move when muscle contracts or relaxes and as bones reposition…and _they _do _that _as a result of receiving a message from the brain via spinal chord. So how was it that he had not even _thought _about hugging her before his arms had found their way into such a position?

Just like other situations and things involving this girl, Reeve found himself asking questions without being able to come up with any answers. Yet it didn't bother him.

He just felt…_good_.

The girl tightened the hug, and he felt her breasts push against him from beneath the thin t-shirt.

"Hey, why don't I show you how to take a bath or a shower?" He asked her in uncharacteristic haste before he could "respond" to the contact.

As if aiming towards his salvation, the girl drew back, but not away, and looked up at him with wide eyes, one able to open wider than the other, before they returned to normal and she smiled again.

"Is it s- scary?" She asked, still smiling.

His brain instantly sprang to life, asking all these different kinds of questions such as, how can she smile and ask a fearful question? Is she afraid? Is she kidding? Maybe she's making a joke. Does she know what a joke _is_?

His inner overlord told the bickering brain cells to be silent as he felt himself smiling.

"Don't worry. I won't let it do anything to you." He reassured her, despite the fact she was most likely intelligent enough to avoid the only real danger there was to be had in something like a bath; drowning.

Yet it didn't matter. Because her smile got bigger and she nodded, trusting him with her safety once again as he led her to the bathroom door not that far away from the computer.

They made it to the door, a solid, strong wood and a French door handle.

"Here," Reeve told her, lightly taking one of her hands into his own as he "aimed" it at the door handle, the girl seeming to understand what he wanted.

Her comparatively small hand grasped the doorknob. Lightly at first, but then tighter as her confidence grew.

"It's…cold." She informed him like she were analyzing something of great importance.

It amused him a bit to do so, but he told her "Good job" at the "report" to which she responded with an even bigger smile and a quick nod of satisfaction.

"Almost as if she's a child." He thought, referencing how happy she'd become after hearing the positive reinforcement.

With an eagerness" he hadn't seen in her before now the girl turned the doorknob-

-and it barely moved.

Her smile remained as big and glistening as it had been for several moments as she repeatedly kept pulling up on the doorknob.

As time went on, however, her smile began to lessen and her eagerness declined, as did the strength of her hand's pulls.

Not wanting to see the girl frown again he suggested that maybe she should pull _down_ instead.

She did so and the door was instantly allowed to open inward.

"I did it!" The girl spoke with great enthusiasm at having managed to accomplish the menial task.

Despite it, he felt his smile grow even larger.

"I'm miserable when I answer even the most complex equations in math class without taking even a whole minute. Yet this girl can find such happiness from simply opening a door." He thought affectionately.

Reeve supposed he "should" have been _jealous_. But instead he simply felt glad that she could get this happy over something that seemed so minor.

"Reeve, w- what's-" She couldn't complete the sentence as her lungs failed to provide her with enough air.

Yet that wasn't enough to brake her spirit and the girl continued to smile as he came back to the world.

"That's a bathtub."

A small giggle escaped from her throat.

"Silly. I kn- know."

He looked at her from the side and his brain instantly snapped to the next probable thing she could have been trying to say.

"What's _next_?" Reeve asked her.

The girl nodded and he guided her into the room from behind, and over to a small, sealed, wooden stool that sat by the bathtub.

"Do you know what a bath and a shower is?"

She looked at him for a moment before peering away in thought, never losing her smile.

"…yes."

He almost chuckled.

"Yes?"

The girl gave a bid nod.

"Yes."

He failed to hold back the chuckle and she giggled alongside him as he sat her down on the stool.

Her giggling stopped momentarily as she sprung up out of reflex.

"Th- that's cold _too_."

Reeve was surprised he'd forgotten that plastic, every now and then, when barely used, _can _feel a bit cold against bare skin.

"Oh. Sorry." He apologized, looking around for something to put underneath her.

His mind thought "towel" just as she told him it was alright and before he could tell her he knew what they could do she pulled the shirt down on her tight and used it as a thin "screen" between her sensitive skin and the cold, hard plastic stool that she sat on.

It was a clever thing to do, considering what she had to work with.

Then again… it made it that much harder for him when she turned around and the shirt was unnaturally tight against her chest.

"See? _I'm _smart _too_." She joked.

He chuckled in response and once again she joined in with the cutest giggle he'd ever heard.

"Wait, _cutest_?!" Reeve's thoughts exploded in his head.

That had to be the first time he seriously used that word as an adjective in his entire _life_!

"Yep." He replied simply, causing the girl to stick out her legs and move them up in down in the air; a "gesture" of happiness common in small children.

"So what if she does things young children do when she's happy?" He retorted against the analytical mind in his head. Another probable first.

Again, though, it made it more difficult as when she did that the shirt was pushed up a bit.

Reeve quickly turned about and opened a cabinet, pulling a large white towel out of it and setting it down on the bathroom rug that covered the middle of the bathroom floor.

The large old, "claw legged" bathtub to his left, the expansive counters, mirrors and cabinets to his left, and the door behind him all were not touched by it, but just about everything else _was_.

He kept his eyes from looking at her as he rose up and kept them that way until he was convinced he could ignore her chest area while looking at her beautiful face.

She stared at him, happy as she'd been for the past few minutes as he hesitantly walked over to the bathtub, turning on the hot water.

The loud burst of water and noise bothered him, the latter more than the first, as his sensitive hearing abilities felt like they'd gotten a gong rang next to him for a moment and he turned away, seeing the girl covering her ears with her hands.

Once again the shirt had been pulled up more and forced himself to continue smiling despite how uncomfortable it was making him.

Luckily when he turned back to face the tub, withstanding the onslaught of noise on his ears, she didn't come stand up and come up above him.

"Feel the water and tell me when you like the temperature." He instructed her while trying to keep his tone fairly soft.

The girl nodded and did so, stretching her hand into the now-warm water.

It figured, considering how pleasant he found everything else this girl did, that the exact moment she liked the temperature of the water was when it had been filled up enough for her to enter it and have a good amount to sit or lay in.

She told him she liked it and he quickly turned it off.

He stood up, keeping his nervousness invisible.

"So you…"

"Get in?" She asked, giggling after the question was made.

He nodded, letting a tiny smidge of his nervousness shine through his otherwise emotional wall of diamond.

The girl nodded and stood up as well as he headed for the door of the room.

"I'll lock the door behind me. Whenever you want to come out just turn the door handle down and it'll unlock automatically.

She giggled once again at his specific instructions of turning the handle _down _before saying she understood.

Reeve locked the door, closed it, and pressed his back up against it, letting his nervousness seethe out of him silently.

What was going on?

He'd never had a problem thinking normally and ignoring girls' bodies when he was around them _before_. And it wasn't as if this girl was acting in a seductive manner. So why did he find it so taxing on his mind to be around her like that?

The "young-male" had no idea what it was about her that made it more difficult but quickly realized it would take even stronger resolve to continue "withstanding" the random animal urges his body produced.

He could control them-

He _would _control them. But it would take some concentration and some…

"Effort?" He asked the room out lout, almost laughing after the outspoken thought.

As he heard the girl in the bathroom slip into the bathtub however, Reeve's consciousness returned to him and he pushed away from the door.

In the end it didn't really matter _how _hard it was for him to keep his "self" under control. What was he going to do? Wait until she came out of the bathroom and tear the towel from around her before doing the same thing that the last fifty people she _met _probably had?

"No. I'm different from them." He thought out loud, completely sure of and solemn in his ruling.

This planet was filled with _enough _people who lived on the pain of others. There were enough bums who did nothing but exist in one form or another, never doing anything of any meaning in their lives. There were enough _sheep_, whom never thought for themselves and only flowed with the current of society.

These people, in his opinion, were just as "evil" as the next rapist, mugger, bank-robber, murderer, serial killer, extortionist, drunk driver, manipulator, politician… the names and titles could go on and on, but in the end there was one, single word which summed them all up; trash.

"And if they won't just disappear because I wish real, real hard, then _I'll _stop them. If someone tries to rape that girl again, I'll take a butcher knife and cut it off. If someone _hits _her I'll beat them into a barely humanoid mess. And if someone tries to _kill _her…"

He took a deep breath.

Reeve was getting too caught up in his own emotions; something he had little experience fighting against since his emotions had never gone out of control before.

Still, he meant what he said. No more harm would come to the girl while he was around.

That's what he thought as Reeve walked back over to his computer and clicked on the downloaded song twice.

"Heh, I almost want to laugh when I think how much one girl can change the way I-"

Reeve stopped talking when he heard the song begin; a lonely oboe playing and instantly capturing his interest.

As it continued he quietly pulled the chair away from the computer and sat down in it.

The lonely oboe continued whistling its sad tune and he found himself actually holding his breath as its solo progressed, as if he didn't want the tiny amount of sound he made as he inhaled and exhaled to interfere with the melody.

He listened more intently by the moment, and heard the oboe's part come to a close, allowing the next breadth of the song to begin.

But just as he began to hear someone sing there was a knock at the bathroom door, and he paused the song, much to his chagrin, and headed over to the door.

"What is it?" He asked, not sounding angry.

On the other side of the door the girl responded.

"I'm finished." She told him, and he felt his throat wanting to chuckle.

"It's only been about a minute." He informed her, once again not irritated.

"Yep! I got in and stayed there for quite a while!"

He failed to keep himself from chuckling this time.

"You're supposed to stay in there for much longer."

"Nope! I got all clean real quick!"

"You really got all of the rest of that stuff that was on you off that quickly?"

"Would you like to come in and see?" She asked, obviously unaware of the normal social "problems" with someone doing that.

"…no, that's okay. I'll trust you."

The door handle was turned, and a click could be heard as the door was unlocked and it began to get pulled inward.

"Do you have the towel on?" Reeve asked her, not wanting to have his self-discipline assaulted by something as challenging as seeing her nude form.

"Oh! Right!" She remembered, the door's opening ceasing as he heard her pad over to where the towel was and picked it up.

He looked away from the door, walking a foot or two away from it as he waited.

Not a minute later the door was pulled in all the way and he turned his head, making sure the towel was firmly secured around her torso before daring to look.

Fortunately putting a towel around herself wasn't something the girl had failed to remember how to do and, despite a few centimeters of the very top of her chest being uncovered, a necessary amount considering the length of the towel, he found her to have done a pretty good job.

"You…um…look _nice_." He told her, eliciting a big smile from the girl.

"Thanks." She responded happily, her hands behind her back as she twisted just a tiny bit from left to right.

It took a few moments before he realized he'd just told her she looked nice in a towel, as if she'd been wearing some sort of expensive, high-quality dress.

It was to his _fortune _this time, that she _didn't _know how "regular" people interacted. As most girls his age wouldn't let an unknown male their age be around them when they were wearing nothing but a towel.

The girl took a few steps forward, her hands at her sides again.

"How do you feel?" Reeve asked her when he realized neither of them had spoken for a minute or two.

"A lot better! My throat feels good now _too_, so I think I can talk good again."

"That's good."

She nodded.

Another silence followed, yet she didn't seem uncomfortable. It's as if she had no expectations of them talking, despite the fact she didn't seem to have trouble doing so.

Eventually, _he _spoke up.

"Would you… mind if I left for a while.

The smile disappeared and she took a step forward, her eyes displaying a look of longing and her expression that of borderline fear.

"Why?! Did I do something you didn't like?!" She asked at a normal but with the pain of a heaven-shattering wail.

Reeve took a step forward himself, until they were both only a foot away from each other.

"No, you didn't do anything at all." He responded quickly, immediately regretting asking the question.

"Did I _not _do something?!" She pleaded further, keeping her hands tight to her chest.

He shook his head as if he'd been broad-sided by a semi.

"No. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm not leaving because I don't want to be around you, I just want to get you something to wear."

Her sadness and longing disappeared from her face and her hands came away just a little bit. The girl's expression was now that of caution and confusion.

"So you're leaving because you _like _me?"

Thinking about it for a second, he nodded.

Then a smile burst forth from the cautious frown and her expression lightened dramatically.

"Yay! Then I'll come _with _you!" She told him with great joy while taking a step forward.

However, as she did the girl tripped on the now-wet, wooden floor and crashed into Reeve, both of them being sent down to the floor as the towel flew up into the air, seeming to drift down rather slowly as the two stared into each other's eyes, their hearts pounding from the sudden excitement.

The towel "floated" down and draped itself over their heads, and he gulped.

* * *

The awkward, intimate moments, including the one at the end, are intended to convey awkwardness and uncomfortability. Not to "showcase" the girl's "features". The impression of it being otherwise is incidental and unintentional.(This almost sounds like a legal disclaimer. Amusing.)


	8. Exception

_**We get scared in our dreams.**_

_**Though it is impossible for a monster to kill us, or for a robber to mug us, we are still frightened.**_

_**It may be because we have not yet realized that what is transpiring in our dreams is not actually real.**_

**_But then again, what does real _mean_?_**

_**Is it to have feelings about the world around us and what happens in it?**_

**_If to be real is to care, to worry, to laugh, to be angry, to _cry_… then what about those who are _incapable _of feeling those things? Are _they _not real? Are their lives not worth anything?_**

* * *

To think that before today Reeve had never frozen at- had never even so much as _flinched _at a single thing he experienced just made the situation he was in that made him carbonite all the more significant.

Out of all the things he had encountered in his sixteen years of life, being beneath a nude girl he had just met the night before while lying on the floor with a towel draped over both of their heads was not on the list.

The girl's face was nothing if not hesitant, and her arms trembled from having held her up above him for so long.

His vision fortunately broke off just as he would be able to see her breasts and he thanked her in his head that she hadn't taken another step forward.

She bit her lower lip while pushing up and away from him, covering her chest with her arms once her legs could support her on their own.

Reeve acted as well, and reached up towards her head, causing her eyes to widen slightly.

He pulled the towel down from her head and looked away, handing it to her.

"Um, thanks." She spoke with difficulty before pulling the towel up to her chest and trying to get off of him.

Attempting to stand up and move away while having something between your legs, however, was harder than it sounded, and she tripped on one of Reeve's legs before falling down again, this time failing to get her hands out in time before falling forward, the towel flying from beneath her hands as she once again smacked the both of them down into the floor.

Unfortunately, this time they were lying chest-to-chest and her face was barely an inch away from his.

They were so close that they were actually breathing in each other's breath, the inhalation of the warmer air a strange, new experience.

Her blue eyes stared into his violet and red ones as the moments dragged on and on, drawing out the awkward "air" around them.

Suddenly, the girl began to lower herself closer to him and he had to make a split-second decision; whether to accept what he suspected was a kiss, or to avoid it.

He must have had to use a scientific calculator and a slow-motion camera to figure how close to the end of that half-second he'd chosen to look away from the girl, the only thing he _could _do without possibly hurting her, and forcing his head to stay there.

She stopped, and her hands curled up on his chest before she lay down across him more casually, moving herself down him and laying her head on his chest.

"I'm sorry." She apologized, the beautiful voice sounding sad and full of regret at what she had just tried to do.

It took him a few moments, but his hands slowly came up and placed themselves across her back, trying to reassure her despite the growing "pain" he was feeling due to her breasts being pressed against him.

"You went through a lot last night. And you can't remember anything from earlier in your life. Considering that, I can understand why you might not understand what you were doing at the time."

Her head pressed harder against his chest and his hands tightened across her back, trying to make her feel better.

"I… wanted to do that with you… because I wished to do that with someone I liked." She explained, surprising him.

That was a fairly complex thought, considering the simplicity of her earlier statements.

It didn't change the fact though that her "chest" was pressing against _his stomach_ and he found it increasingly difficult not to respond.

So he sat up, the girl doing the same thing in the process, and they were face to face again, this time _she _was undoubtedly wondering if _he _intended to kiss _her_.

But his conscious mind had no intention of doing so, even if his animal side wanted to do more than that, and he looked into her eyes.

"I would like to go and get you some clothes to wear. Among other things it would help prevent something like what just happened from occurring again. But if you don't want me to, I won't."

Her lips pursed as she thought deeply on it.

"Can I… come with you?" She asked him, not surprisingly.

That was probably the first thing this girl had said since he met her that he had predicted and prepared for in advance.

"Well, I suppose. Though I'm worried about you getting unwanted attention due to your… marks."

He'd mentally crossed his fingers in the hope of her not taking offense to the last word.

His hope was rewarded and she smiled.

"I don't mind. If I can be with _you_, then it won't bother me."

_That _he _wasn't _prepared for. And it hit him very strongly.

"You just want to be with me…huh?" He asked her, looking down and closing his eyes.

She said nothing for several seconds but soon he felt a soft hand come onto his shoulder.

"Are you sad?" The girl asked, sounding more curious than empathetic.

"Why is that?" He questioned in his head.

This girl hadn't been or said anything unkind since their "introduction", so it was unlikely that she was simply being cold.

But what was it then? Was she simply more curious than concerned or was it something else?

For a reason he could only describe as intuition Reeve assumed it was the latter.

In the process of thinking things through his emotion had receded and he mentally slammed down the titanium lid that was his composure on it as he looked back up at her and opened his eyes.

"No. Don't worry about it. But if you really want to come with me, you can. But…"

Her head tilted out of curiosity.

"What is it?"

Reeve felt a grin flash across his face.

"If you want to come, you'll have to wear some clothes."

She giggled as they both stood up and Reeve walked past her, keeping his gaze strictly above her shoulder level while walking over to his closets and opening them.

The young person tried to find clothes she wouldn't mind wearing, at least until she got some of her own, as he rummaged through his closets.

Eventually he managed to find a pair of pants that were decently short, though they would probably even be tight on _her_. In addition to the "girliest" shirt he could find. He knew it sounded like a sexist assumption, but it just seemed like this girl was a "lady" in that she probably would choose a dress over pants and a shirt any day.

"Only time will tell me if I'm right or not, I suppose. And if I'm _wrong_, well, I guess there _would _be a first time for everything." He thought before turning around, eyes closed, and handing out her temporary clothes.

He heard her giggle and suddenly felt two silk lips place a kiss on his cheek before the clothes were gently taken from his grip, the "reward" she gave causing him to instinctively open his eyes, only to be met by a waving finger as the girl held the clothes against her body, at least to an extent, and continued wagging her finger at him.

"No peaking!" She told him happily, Reeve's eyes shutting as he looked away from her and back at the closet, moving clothes around on their hangers as she got changed.

Despite trying to keep himself busy he heard every sound she, and the clothes she was putting on, made. And cursed his heightened senses for making him hear everything as if it were in 5.1 Dolby digital surround sound.

Soon he heard the sounds cease and before he had decided whether to turn around or not he felt a hand tap his shoulder from behind.

It was surprising that she'd managed to get close to him without him hearing or smelling her, but then again it seemed like expecting nothing when it came to this girl was a lesson he would do well to learn.

Reeve turned around and saw the girl standing there, knees slightly bent and her hands now behind her back.

"I'm ready!" She told him happily and he smiled.

"Ha. It's only about six in the morning, the stores aren't open yet."

She tilted her head.

"Then let's do something until they _do _open!" The girl said excitedly.

"Like what?"

"Something…fun."

He chuckled at the rather broad specifications.

"So something fun, and then going and get you clothes, hm?"

The girl nodded with great enthusiasm.

"Mmmhmmm!"

The two walked along the "path" to the driveway, the girl looking to the small little flower gardens on either side as she walked with him.

Though he had never paid any serious attention to the tiny gardens that ran up along the few-yards-long path to the front door of the mansion his parents and he lived in, simply glancing at them revealed that the beautiful flowers were well-maintained by the gardeners his parents had hired.

"If you like _these _little things, I'm sure you'd _love _the garden you can see from the back of my room." He told her, immediately gaining the girl's utmost attention.

"Really?! I want to see it!"

"What about your clothes?"

She blinked a few times, and then looked forward again.

"Oh, right. When we get back then?"

Reeve looked down at her, and the girl turned to look at him again as they reached the driveway.

"Please?" She asked, wearing the world renowned "face" that some girls had become so known for.

Normally it wouldn't have worked on him even an inkling. But due to who it was…

"Sure." He responded.

She instantly tightened her grip on his arm and beamed once more.

"Thank you, Reeve."

He couldn't help but smile and somewhat regretted that it was time for her to move away and get into the passenger's seat as he opened the driver's side door with his left, free hand-

-and the girl climbed into the car through it, going on all fours somehow.

Just as he was about to tell her that she was supposed to get into the seat on the other side of the car she continued "crawling" across the seat until she'd gotten into "her" one and stuck her legs down where they were intended to go, sitting down finally.

Reeve shook his head in amusement and got into _his _seat, but he _stayed _there.

"Next time how about you try using the door on _that _side?" He asked, making it sound like a helpful suggestion instead of a joke or insult.

She glanced at it and shrugged.

"Okay."

He closed the door and put the keys into the ignition before turning them and bringing the car to life.

As Reeve put the car into reverse and backed his way down the driveway he thought about mentioning something to her that he'd been thinking for most of the time they had been up, even though it was only eleven in the morning.

Eventually he decided to say it, knowing there was no point in debating it in his head all day long.

"You sure are happier and more carefree today." He spoke lightly.

The girl turned her head to face him and he hoped she wasn't frowning.

"I'm not scared of anything while you're around. And it's fun to be around you. Plus, since I don't remember a lot of things it's kind of like I'm experiencing it all for the first time."

He smiled, glad she was able to appreciate her surroundings. It was nice to know that _one _of them was happy with the way things seemed to go on "outside".

"Well I'm glad you feel safe around me. It's reassuring to know someone enjoys my presence." Reeve responded, though it sounded more casual than he'd intended.

Still, the girl didn't seem to notice how it might have been considered "cold" to a person ignorant of his true intentions.

"No one else does…" She spoke, stunning him for a moment, speech-wise anyway.

"_Do_ they?"

Had anyone else said such a thing and asked a question like that, with perhaps the exception of Nathan, he would have instantly retorted with something that would crush their desire to argue.

But she was right. And it sounded like she hadn't been trying to insult him, more that she had picked it up from his own unconscious mind.

"…I don't think so. I certainly don't know anyone else who seems to have-"

He cut himself off before he could finish the sentence.

What did it matter how he felt? It wouldn't change how anyone else acted. Since he'd been born Reeve had witnessed day after day that while people could occasionally possess the ability to care for others they were in the end, nothing but selfish. And he was no exception.

But unlike everyone _else_, _he _wasn't going to delude himself into thinking the world cared anything about his feelings. Fortunately for him, for the most part he'd never had many feelings other than a daily dose of irritation and boredom.

"No one else seems to have _what_?" She asked, snapping him out of his musings and causing him to actually push down on the break a few feet before the car had actually reached the end of the driveway.

Neither of them spoke for almost a minute, yet he didn't feel awkward and apparently, _she _didn't _either_.

Eventually he spoke.

"Are you concerned?" He asked flatly.

"Concerned?" She asked him curiously.

"It means you care about someone and mind if they feel bad."

Her face remained smiling, but he realized that it almost seemed…hollow. As if she wasn't really smiling at all.

"I don't know what that means, then. I think it's fun to talk to you."

Reeve grinned, and looked in the mirrors and over his shoulder to make sure no one was coming, and then quickly pulled out of the driveway.

"I see. So you don't understand it."

Despite himself, Reeve couldn't suppress a quick chuckle. To which she asked him what he found funny, once again sounding neither offended nor worried.

"I suppose I find it comforting to know that you aren't familiar with the concept of caring about someone. It makes me feel better."

Her head tilted, what he considered her "trademark" sign of being curious.

"It does? Why?"

As he drove down the street, passing the cars that were in his way when it was legal so he wouldn't get a ticket, Reeve answered "Because I'm incapable of _feeling _it. All I've ever felt towards others is occasionally an interest in them. I've never cared about anyone. Not more than _myself_."

"Do you not like the way we are?"

It was comforting again, to know that she associated them with each other.

"I couldn't say. I wouldn't judge the way we are now until I've changed, and I doubt _that _will ever happen." He told her as they came to a quick stoplight, the other side of the intersection already ceasing their movement as _theirs _turned red as _well_.

It was fortunate that they weren't moving, as the girl placed a hand on one of _his_.

"You don't think we can change?"

Reeve glanced at her as the red hue in their stop light faded, hard to see by most people as opposed to simply flashing off.

"No. That's not it."

She smiled again and her hand came away as the light turned green.

"I just don't think that if I _did_ that my life would become any more desirable or begin to have value." He said as his foot pressed down on the gas pedal and drove them down towards the mall.


	9. Dreaming together

_**You never know what can happen in a dream.**_

_**You might turn a corner and come face-to-face with a knife-wielding clown. **_

_**Or you might ride off a cliff on a tricycle only do have a parachute ready and waiting.**_

_**You might even do something you would otherwise have no interest in doing. Something that normally means absolutely nothing to you, but because of someone special suddenly seems fun.**_

_**It's nice when you can find someone to dream with.**_

* * *

"_This _is where we're _going_?" The girl asked in astonishment, staring at the massive building that lie in wait for them up ahead.

Reeve had just turned the car off and opened his own door, the girl having already opened hers beforehand, and locked them as he walked around the side of the car.

"That it is." He responded, coming up behind her.

"Do you feel intimidated?"

She blinked, staring at the massive square edifice, then looked back at him, a cryptic face.

"Nope!" The girl told him happily as she beamed and headed forward, away from the car.

However, as she walked away from the car Reeve heard squealing tires a ways a way and took a quick, big step forward to grab her arm as a car came flying down the "isle" between the cars, around twenty miles faster than they were supposed to be going.

Fortunately he'd gotten to her in time and managed to keep her still as the car in question zipped by them.

"There's a pedal to the _left _of the gas as _well_!" He called after them, normally not bothering with such comments.

But the girl, if she'd continued walking forward, would have been hit by the car and there wasn't usually any coming back from that.

"Are you ready?" She asked him, smiling happily.

Reeve looked down at her, somewhat dumbfounded.

"That didn't bother you?" He responded.

"No, not really. I'm _used _to people trying to hurt me. Come on Reeve, let's go!" The girl said to him again, sounding as happy as before.

He would have smiled at her ability to not get all worked up about almost getting killed by a car, if she hadn't mentioned that a lot of people tried to hurt her on a regular basis.

So instead of smiling he just nodded and they headed down the "isle" alongside the cars on their side.

"Where do you want to go first?" Reeve asked her.

She bit her lip in thought, staring up at the sky as they walked.

"Um… to get clothes. Then I want to go somewhere _else__too_!"

It was _his _turn to give a curious expression.

"Where?"

The girl shook her head.

"It's a _secret_."

He gave a quick chuckle as they neared one of the entrances.

"Okay."

She nodded and they reached the doors, Reeve pulling it open for her.

The girl gave a bigger smile than usual in appreciation before all-but skipping through the doors .

Reeve smiled after her and followed in, opening the next the door and receiving a similar response.

Once they were both inside, the girl looked around in a full arc, deciding where she wanted to go.

The entrance opened right into a clothing store so aside from that "secret" place she wanted to go they wouldn't have to go all that far. Though the shear size of _this _store was somewhat impressive, and almost _all _of it was filled with shelves or racks of clothes.

He wondered what the place was before a soft hand grabbed his wrist and tugged him in a direction.

They headed towards a group of dresses hanging on racks, but as they did something else caught her eye and she led him in _another _direction, towards some shorts.

There were a bunch of things around, shorts, t-shirts, socks, etc. But one of her hands darted for a specific thing as they came to a stop and pulled it off a shelf; a pair of very "girly" socks.

"Reeve, how many things will you get me?" She asked him, cutting off the beginning of his thought of wishing to have gotten a cart or something while they _could_.

"Pick whatever you like. If it's something you want, it's something you'll have."

She giggled at his overdramatic declaration of "go ahead and binge" and nodded.

"Thanks!"

As she thanked him they reared around and headed for the dresses again.

Any of the people they saw seemed to find it amusing how she led him around with such energy, though he had to admit these extra people _did _take away some of the enjoyment he had from being around her.

She picked an older-style-looking dress; one with sleeves that "flowed" out a bit at the end and had a fairly large-sized neckline. It would only go down a bit along her shins but then again he supposed that was the point.

"This is really cute, don't you think Reeve?" She asked him, immediately making him nervous.

In his haste he thought of the easiest answer to give.

"You would look beautiful in it." He responded.

She gave an extra big smile, and took it.

After she'd picked out the dress they went over to a "sleepwear" area and she found a silk nightgown to wear.

He had to admit… it felt a bit…strange walking around here helping her get clothes. Not _uncomfortable _necessarily, but it made him feel different for some reason.

Reeve was snapped out of his thoughts as the girl tapped him on the shoulder, causing him to look up at her-

-and the swimsuit she was holding in front of her with two hands, one holding the top the other the bottom.

His eyes went wide for a moment before he felt his face heat up and looked away slightly, trying not to be rude but escaping the eye-drawing view.

She giggled when he did and he looked away more.

"Have you never seen a girl do this before?" She asked.

Reeve glanced back at her, seeing that she'd lowered the "parts" enough for him to look her in the face and feel normal.

"No. I have before. It's just never bothered me before."

The girl tilted her head.

He instantly sprung on the chance to correct any mistakes in his explanation.

"What I mean is that I didn't care what the other girls wore so it didn't matter to me."

Another giggle followed his "save" and Reeve felt like he was getting beaten around for some reason.

"Where'd you find that, those- anyway?" He asked, trying to hide his nervousness at talking to her about such a thing.

"Someone left it here. They said they were too big for it."

"Not that I mean to criticize or anything but… the time for swimming is considered mostly over."

The girl set the sections of swimsuit back down before picking up the things she'd put down before and came back to him.

She continued picking out things until she had gotten enough things to be able to wear them for enough days that he could wash and dry them in-between and even a pair of shoes, given the official title of "really cute" were found and soon they were finished with this store.

"Okay, now I want to go to the _secret _store." She told him, a grin on her face.

…was there _mischievousness _behind it? Or was he just imagining it?

"Wait, we're going to pay for these things first."

Without losing her grin the girl looked around.

"Where do we go to do that?"

It was _his _turn to lead _her _somewhere and Reeve quickly found one of the multiple cashier desks scattered throughout the store before taking her to it.

"Set the things on the counter." He instructed her, to which she replied with a big nod and then lifted the things up above the counter before dropping them all onto it, the hangers making a semi-loud noise as they collided with the hard surface. The cashier didn't seem to know what to make of it, so she just scanned the items as the girl leaned to the side against Reeve.

Once all of the items had been scanned he paid for them and they were bagged before the girl happily took them and he led her out of the store.

They walked throughout the mall, Reeve asking her if she knew what the store was called.

She answered that she didn't, but would know it when they found it.

Students who went to the same school _he _did seemed to notice that he was accompanying someone and a few of them, noticeably other girls, seemed jealous, while others seemed glad he had someone to go to places to, as he tried not to be around people that much if given a more desirable option.

Then again, what _they _thought and cared about didn't really _matter _to him.

Eventually she stopped and he knew they had reached the place.

Reeve glanced left; a maternity clothing store. Somehow he doubted that was the "secret" she had been talking about before.

So he looked to the right-

"Here's the surprise!" She announced to him a bit louder than necessary and drawing the attention of some nearby people as the two of them stared at the entrance to the Victoria's Secret store.

For a moment he felt immensely out of character.

"There's no chance of you going in there without me… _is _there.

She shook her head, giggling.

"Not even the _tiniest gamble_."

He sighed and she transferred all of the bags on one of her arms to the other before ringing her now-free arm around his and holding his hand, leading him towards the store.

"Come on. It won't be so bad. If you stay nice to me I might even get something _you _pick."

Reeve sighed, deciding there wasn't anything he could, or would be _willing _to do to escape from this.

And even knowing this girl for less than a full day he could already tell that once she decided she was going to do something she would do it even if the _world _were falling down _around _her.

Unless she found something _more _interesting that is.

They passed through the entrance and there was no turning back.

Instantly she led him towards the most…suggestive section there was, minus the things the area where everything looked like it had been made of nothing but strings and/or leftover pieces of napkins.

"Reeve, isn't this one cute?"

"…it would look good on you."

"Hey, look, Reeve, this is adorable _isn't _it?"

"…you would make it completely gorgeous."

"Oh, _this _one is _lovely_. Can I get _this _one _too_?"

"…it's as if it was made for you."

This scenario went on for the better half of an hour and he didn't know _how _he said something different each time and even _more _so that he actually _meant _what he said, despite the fact he'd learned that there _was _some shyness in him.

It helped that he found the girls enjoying their scenario irritating in their observations and very _existence_, but in the end it wasn't enough to counteract the overwhelming nervousness he felt whenever the girl held up one of the sets of lingerie and posed with them, seeming completely unaware of his increasing redness.

Eventually she'd made her way around the whole store and, despite not picking out of what he called the "whorish" section; the one containing thongs, tiny versions of normal-sized things and the like, found several articles which she thought were particularly…desirable.

They bought everything rather quickly and Reeve offered to carry the bags she was holding for her… his subtle way of getting out of carrying around the underwear bags.

As they were beginning to leave the store, however, he spotted a particularly unwanted person; the girl he had gotten into an "argument" with back at the club last night.

She noticed _him _as well, and he could sense from the moment she saw him that this wasn't going to be a mere silent passing.

"So, you get your underwear _here_. That explains a few things." She taunted in an annoying casual voice, knowing it would be more difficult to act they way he had last night in a store like this in the middle of the day.

Before he could say anything, however, the girl stepped around him, smiling as she always did.

"Nope! Reeve got all these things for me!"

"Page" as he remembered that being her "nametag", got an amused expression.

"Oh, is he picking any girl he can _find _to take out and buy stuff for her just so he can lay her? I bet you've already done it at least once."

His hands clenched into fists, threatening to tighten the plastic on the bags too much and tear them.

"I got a lot of really cute things. Would you like to see?"

The bitch seemed a bit taken back by the girl's continued happiness, and he had to admit… _he _was _too_.

"No, I'm sure they're all ugly and retro _anyway_. Probably just a who's who off the clearance rack."

The girl shrugged and walked around the rack to the girl's left, a "+" shaped metal hanger at the top.

Suddenly she seemed to trip and kept herself from falling, but only by grabbing one of the bars that held the things off and accidentally knocked the opposite bar directly into the back of the girl's head, making a, to _him_, satisfyingly loud noise.

"Ow!" She let out, her voice assaulting his ears compared to the girl's bird-like beautiful voice.

"Oops! Sorry about that I tripped on the leg-things on the floor. Come on Reeve let's go!"

Despite being slightly confused about the events that had just transpired he walked straight out of the story, the girl meeting up with him as he did so.

Once they had walked back to the original clothing store they were in he asked her if she had done that on purpose.

"Done _what _on purpose?" She asked him in response, sounding genuinely curious and causing Reeve to smile.

"Nothing. Never mind."


	10. Pleasant Dreams

_**There are times when you do not even need to be asleep to feel that you are.**_

_**It is possible you simply have been up for a long time.**_

_**You could have exhausted yourself working.**_

_**However, not all times when you feel as if you are dreaming are **_**undesirable**_**.**_

_**Sometimes being with people you like, if they are close enough to you, can feel like a pleasant dream.**_

* * *

It hadn't taken very long for the two of them to get back to Reeve's house. And as soon as they did the girl immediately wanted to go back to his room and try some of her new clothes on.

As a result of this she essentially charged up the stairs in an effort to get to the room.

Unfortunately for _her _there were fifteen rooms on the second floor and she couldn't remember which of them was his.

"Reeve! Come on! Hurry up! I want to try these on!" She yelled down at him from above, the eagerness in her voice easily distinguishable from pure bossiness.

Still, she'd certainly gained a lot of confidence since going out to the mall with him.

Despite that he didn't break into a full-blown run or anything up the stairs like _she _had. Apparently all of her bruises or whatever they were hadn't been as serious as he'd _thought_, since she seemed much faster than he would have guessed. At least the _day _after the wounds were inflicted on her.

When he reached the top of the stairs as well she was already there, holding her bags in her arms and all-but jumping up and down in anticipation.

"It's down the hall to the right and the last room after you turn left." He told her so the girl wouldn't have to wait for him to go and try her things on.

She nodded quickly and ran down the hallway, her run looking like immensely fast skipping, probably due to how happy she was.

Reeve chuckled as she disappeared from sight and not many seconds later he heard what he assumed was his door being opened.

He _also _noticed that he _hadn't_ hear it _close_. Hopefully that meant she'd gone into the bathroom to get changed.

At a normal pace he walked down the hall to his right, hoping to give her enough time to change before he got there.

At the very least if she'd forgotten to close the door of the bathroom he wouldn't see her changing _anyway_, since the doors were about two and a half yards from each other and were also in the same wall.

Because of that, he walked down the hall that led to his room without much caution. But when he walked into the doorway and saw the girl unbuttoning the shirt, which was all that remained on her, Reeve quickly learned his assumptions had been incorrect once again.

"Sorry." He apologized while turning to look back the way he'd come.

"I thought you were getting changed in the bathroom."

Despite the fact she'd already unbuttoned at least five of them she didn't seem embarrassed or angry in the least.

"Did you want me to do that?" She asked him normally.

Reeve was surprised she was asking him if he wanted _her _to leave the room, but was grateful for it nonetheless.

"I would appreciate that."

She nodded and picked up the bags she'd set down to either side before going into the bathroom.

He noted with some humor and some remaining nervousness that she hadn't closed the door behind her, but it was quite more desirable than before and he set down the clothes bags he'd been carrying by the door, not going any further into the room out of respect for her privacy, whether she felt uncomfortable or not.

It was interesting, if in a strange way, that she _didn't _have problem with him seeing her as she was changing as the night before she had found it undesirable to even have him near _her_.

What he found _most _curious though was how the longer they were around each other the _less _she seemed to show similarities to other girls her age. As if her natural way of being was completely unlike theirs.

Then again, the more unique she'd revealed herself to be the more he'd become interested in her. It wasn't that all he had towards her was interest and curiosity; he wasn't some obsessed scientist who treated her like a favored science experiment.

It was just… she wasn't like any other girl- wasn't like any other _person_ he knew. It was if she was completely untouched by all the conditioning of growing up as a human.

That might be going a bit too far, but so far there wasn't a single thing about this girl that he disliked.

The fact that she had almost tried to kiss him that one time before had made him _uncomfortable _but he didn't hold it against her.

Interrupting the musings in his head Reeve suddenly heard something ringing in his pocket and pulled his cell-phone out, opening and checking who it was before putting it up to his ear.

The only people that ever called him anyway were his parents or Nathan. Fortunately it was the latter and he listened to his friend start talking, as Reeve was neither the type to say hello nor was Nathan the type to wait to say what he wanted to talk about.

"Hey, buddy, what are you up to this glorious afternoon?" His friend asked.

"'Glorious' huh? That's an eight-letter-word. Quite impressive. You got hooked on phonics _didn't _you?"

He chuckled on the other side of the line.

"Yeah. But I got stuck so I have to read some of the chapters over again." Nathan responded sarcastically.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Reeve asked once they'd gotten past the "formalities".

"Well, since you don't seem to have much of a social life aside from in school I thought I would offer to come hang out with you."

Reeve wondered whether it would be a good idea or not to let Nathan know about the girl. He trusted him not to tell if he said it was a secret and if the girl could make him understand she stayed her of her own free will but didn't know how it would affect the girl.

She hadn't seemed to have any difficulty walking around in the _mall _despite there being so many people, but she _also _hadn't really _interacted _with anyone. Aside from that-

"So, what d'ya say?"

"You just want to interact with that gigantic _TV _downstairs, _don't _you?"

Nathan chuckled once again.

"You got me. So what is your answer, mighty knower of everything?"

Reeve prepared to answer as he turned around-

-and dropped the phone when he spotted the girl walking towards him, wearing nothing but some of the underwear she'd bought at the mall they had just been to.

Nathan's voice could be heard asking him what had happened but he was incapable of picking it up as the girl walked closer and closer to him, a grin on her face.

"I forgot to do something before I went in there." She informed him as the girl came up right next to him, making it impossible to look at her head without his peripheral vision seeing something else at the same _time_.

The girl bent down, falling lower and lower… until she reached down and picked up the bags he'd set by the doorway.

"No clothes." She told him before giggling and running away back to the bathroom as if he were chasing her in a game of tag.

He stared after her for a few moments, feeling like an imbecile yet unable to move, until he heard Nathan speak louder than usual and he stooped to pick the phone up.

"Sorry, I dropped the phone behind a couch, it took a me a minute to get it." He lied. _Another _thing he didn't recall doing before meeting this girl who'd just forced him into a statue for about the fifth time in a single day.

"Reeve…"

"Damn it." He thought. "He's going to be worried about me now."

"You've got a _girl _over there _don't _you?!" Came an almost hysterical yell from the other side of the phone, causing him to draw it away from his sensitive ears, the drums within them throbbing from the pain that had been inflicted upon them.

"Are you guys…you know…'up to something'?"

He sighed angrily.

"No Nathan, it's nothing like that. Just stay at your own house today and work on that piece-of-crap car of yours."

"No _way_! You're even getting all _defensive _about this! I'm heading over in my collector's-item-car _right now_!"

Before he could debate the matter any further his friend hung up and Reeve cursed under his breath as he closed his phone and set it back in his pocket.

"Well, it looks like he made my decision _for _me. He won't stop searching the very _walls _of the house before he discovers the girl." Reeve thought as he turned around again-

-and once again saw the girl heading towards him. This time wearing one of the dresses she had picked out.

It was strange. Despite the fact she was wearing far more "acceptable" clothing, he was still frozen stiff.

What _was _it about this girl that paralyzed him so from time to time?

Perhaps it was that she looked beautiful in the dress. But then again, that wasn't saying much, as she looked beautiful _all_ the time.

So what _was _it?!

He couldn't find the answer before she reached him, and quickly forgot about his wonderings when she smiled right at him, as if custom-making it to melt his heart away.

"Wait… what?" He managed to squeeze out one final thought.

Such a ridiculous thing to say, you couldn't melt someone's heart just with a smile.

"Well, Reeve, how do I look?" She asked hopefully.

He gazed at her for a moment before smiling.

"You look stunning." He replied honestly and quite literally.

She gave a much deeper smile, one that seemed to reach to an emotional level, before giggling and running away from him, diving onto his bed and bouncing off it once before landing on it again, giggling once more.

Reeve felt himself smile as he walked over to the girl who lay on her stomach, legs up in the air and with her hands propped up under her chin, gazing at him.

"_So_, Reeve, who were you talking to on your phone before you…dropped it." She asked him, giving another quick giggle before mentioning "dropped", since she knew she'd been the reason he did so.

"My friend, Nathan. He was wondering if he could come over and have fun with me."

One of her eyebrows rose and Reeve sighed.

Apparently she remembered _enough _about human culture to be sensitive to phrases that could be misinterpreted.

"Really… can I watch?" She asked mischievously.

He shook his head before telling her that wasn't what he meant.

"He's coming over to see me…and you."

The girl's smile faltered slightly and lost all traces of mischievousness.

"W- why does he want to see _me_?' She asked, her legs and hands falling from their previously happy and playful positions.

Reeve was surprised she'd stuttered again.

"He's not going to _hurt _you or anything. He just knew the reason I'd dropped the phone was _you_; he thinks you're just a girl from my school that I'm going out with."

"Well, we _did _go _out_."

"Hm?" He asked, confused that she'd considered that a date.

"We went out of the house to that 'mall' you spoke of."

"Oh, right." Reeve replied, relieved that she hadn't meant it the way he thought she had.

Or _was _he?

"So… he's not going to do anything to me, right?" She asked, not daring to bring the smile back onto her face until she was reassured.

"Well, he might nag your _ear _off but-"

She touched one of her ears, genuinely seeming to think one of them would be cut off.

"I just meant that he might talk to you a lot." Reeve spoke again, this time not trying to make the response humorous.

Her hand came away, though he smile still didn't come back.

"Nathan… I think I used to say that name a lot."

Reeve didn't do or say anything, letting her think in case she was recovering some of her memory.

After a few moments she blinked and looked at him again, seeming unsure of herself.

"Don't worry. It's only been a single day. Not remembering everything isn't a bad sign.

She nodded, but didn't seem to mean it.

Reeve frowned and sat on the bed, putting his hands on her shoulders and pulling the girl up to sit up.

Her eyes stared into his, seeming intimidated by something about him.

It didn't matter though.

He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her.

She trembled in his arm for a few moments before hugging him back.

"Like I said; don't worry. You don't have to remember every single thing in _one day_.

"…uhuh…" She relented, seeming to believe him now and not worry about it.

They separated after another minute or two and he smiled at her again, "forcing" her to do so as well.

"_There_ you are." He commented softly, the girl's smile getting bigger.

Both of them got off the bed and began to walk to the door when she suddenly stopped and placed a hand on his shoulder, drawing his attention.

"I have to go to the bathroom." She told him.

He held his breath, hoping this wasn't one of the things he would be required to help her with.

"Will you wait for me?"

His relief was undoubted this time.

"Of course. But make sure to close the door this time, okay?"

An amused smile emerged and she nodded her head.

"Just make sure _you _don't _eavesdrop _this time, alright?"

"Touché."

Her smile got bigger and the girl quickly moved herself over to the bathroom door, going through the doorway and closing it behind her.

Reeve kept himself from laughing at their quick humorous exchange and waited in the doorway.

…When he realized at this distance he could still hear _sounds _he walked into the hall immediately outside his room, once again cursing his heightened sense of hearing.

Within a few minutes he heard the toilet flush, prompting him to move back into the doorway so she wouldn't think he'd left her.

The bathroom door opened and soon someone came running across the room and grabbed his arm from behind.

"You waited!" The girl said with glee.

He looked down at her.

"I said I would."

She nodded and gave him a big smile.

Reeve returned the smile, albeit with his own smaller one.

"So when is your friend getting here?" She asked.

Before Reeve could answer he heard an abnormally-loud knock at the door downstairs.

"I believe… _that's _him."

The knocks began coming much quicker and he quickly recognized the "Macho man" song being banged throughout the house, causing Reeve to sigh.

"Well, let's go down and greet him." He spoke reluctantly.

The girl nodded and they walked, somewhat briskly as the song continued, down the halls and then down the stairs until they reached the large entrance doors.

Once again reluctantly responded to the annoying song and opened the door a foot, looking at his eager friend.

"I suppose I should be glad you aren't wearing a revealing _cop _uniform." He admitted, causing the girl to giggle behind him and for Nathan to push the door inward too fast for Reeve's taste so he could see the girl.

"Hey! I'm Nathan!" He greeted her kindly.

She smiled back at him.

"Hello!" She responded with similar enthusiasm.

"So, _you're _the one whose starting to make Reeve turn human!" He teased, causing her to giggle again and for Reeve to become irritated.

"Just shut up and get in here already will you?" He asked, Nathan entering quickly as Reeve closed the door behind him.

"So, what're we up to today?" His friend asked him, the girl immediately looking at him as well. Adding to the "pressure".

"Yes. Reeve, what _are _we doing?" The girl asked him.

He thought about it for a few moments.

Playing videogames probably wouldn't be a good idea, as the girl might not know how to or might simply not _want _to play them. And somehow he doubted the cute, innocent little girl who enjoyed giggling on a regular basis would enjoy watching horror movies.

Which meant…

"Do you want to go out to eat?" He asked the girl, immediately getting a big smile from her.

This was followed by an energetic nod.

Reeve then looked over to Nathan, who gave a shrug.

"Sure. I could go for a bite to eat. Where're we going?"

"Hm."

Nathan turned his attention to the girl.

"What do _you _like to eat?"

She closed her eyes, showing him her smile.

"Tasty things!"

He laughed and Reeve felt himself smile for a moment at her response.

"Well, Reeve, we're waiting." Nathan teased, putting him on the spot.

Reeve sighed.

"Don't worry, I'll think of something. Let's go."

The girl giggled and Reeve pulled his keys out of his pocket.

"So we taking separate cars or-"

"No way, my car can't tow that piece of crap relic you've got all the way to a restaurant.

His friend chuckled again as the three of them headed out.


	11. Pain in a dream

_**It's been said that you can't get hurt in dreams. Though your mind may perceive you as having been damaged by something, when you wake up, there is no wound.**_

_**Yet at the same time, it has **_**also **_**been suggested that if you ever **_**did **_**die in a dream, you would die in real life. Perhaps the only kind of damage you can receive then, is to your mind.**_

_**However, it is **_**also **_**possible to be damaged **_**emotionally**_**, perhaps by seeing someone you miss or who has died, in a dream. If nothing else, this proves that in our own dreams, we **_**aren't **_**as invincible as we **_**think**_**.**_

* * *

"Hey, how come _I _have to sit in the back?" Nathan complained, feigning a pout.

Reeve glanced in the rearview mirror, both to check traffic and to see the ridiculous look his friend probably had on his face.

"Because it's my car and I'd rather look at _her _when I check my right-side mirror than _you_."

The girl giggled as Nathan crossed his arms.

"_I'm _cuter."

"Nope." The girl and Reeve both replied in unison, causing everyone to laugh at least a little bit.

Though, to be more accurate, _Reeve _was the only one who laughed a little. The girl's giggling reached new heights and Nathan's chuckling threatened the definition of the word.

Reeve had never really asked the girl what kind of food she liked and guessed it didn't really matter, since she probably wouldn't remember anyway.

One way or the other though, the food place wasn't all that important. As Nathan ate anything you could _find _at a restaurant and the girl probably hadn't eaten anything decent for who knew how long.

It was nice to see she got along with someone else though. And the anxiety she'd felt when she learned Nathan was coming over seemed to have completely dissipated.

On that note, he saw a place called "Joel's steakhouse" coming up; they'd gone there before and the food was more than good enough.

Reeve put on his right turn signal and pulled over into the right lane, preparing to turn into the driveway.

"Oh, Joel's huh?" Nathan asked "in passing."

It was a small mention, just random idle chatter, yet the girl's hands twitched and her smile disappeared.

Reeve looked at her again, pretending he was simply looking in the direction he was turning.

She seemed to understand, and managed a smile again.

He smiled back at her, knowing that with Nathan in the car talking about something that reminded her of her past wasn't a good idea, but they would talk about it later.

The car pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant and he found the closest space to the entrance as possible before pulling in and parking the car.

As he turned it off, he looked at the girl and then Nathan before opening his door and stepping out.

They did the same and, strangely enough, all closed their doors at the same time.

It was something he had noticed he and Nathan always seemed to do. Even when they were in separate cars and driving to the same place. So long as they got there at the same time. They never did it on purpose. It just tended to happen.

Reeve wasn't one to believe in "fate" or anything, but the people he liked, which so far wasn't a very large group at all, always seemed to have "perfect" timing in relation to him; they were synchronized with him and never seemed to try and talk to him unless he was willing and circumstances presenting, able to. Even if they were unaware of where he was or what he was doing.

Though it was a good "sign" that she had that same "synchronization" as Nathan. It just showed how connected they were.

The three of them walked across the parking lot and, despite it being an elaborate sign, he noticed the girl made a point not to look at the name of the restaurant.

"Hey, someone with that name tick you off or something?" Nathan joked.

She looked at him and managed a smile, if only while doing so, and looked forward again.

"A past person in her life. He wasn't nice to her." Reeve spoke, probably speaking the truth even though he had no idea what her relationship with that name was.

"Aw, that's too bad. Sorry to hear that." His friend offered, the first truly serious thing he'd said in a while.

Despite herself her smile seemed to be coming back, and Reeve was glad Nathan's way of interacting with people didn't bother her. For some he could be a bit…spontaneous.

They walked underneath the sign, to the entrance, and Reeve opened the door for them.

As Nathan began to walk through the door. However, Reeve stuck out a hand and stopped him from coming inside, as if he were security at a high-end nightclub keeping out a teenager.

The young man made a pouting face as he stepped aside and let the girl go ahead of him.

A secret grin was shared by the three of them, however, as the girl walked past both of them and into the restaurant, though she stayed quite close to Reeve as Nathan and he followed her in.

The interior of the steakhouse was dark wood. Though there were windows along the length of the walls, the primary source of light were hanging "soft" lights above each table, with the areas that staff worked in most frequently being better lit so there wouldn't be any accidents or collisions.

Though the place was a little cramped with all the other customers, there were still a few booths open in the back of the building.

They walked up to the small "podium" that was only a couple yards from the entrance and Reeve asked if they could get a booth, preferably not amongst everyone else.

The waitress who would serve him pulled out three menus from within the podium and led them towards the back of the place.

She was attractive, probably a college girl who just worked here to get through school, but Reeve had to admit he was glad that Nathan hadn't tried to "pick her up" yet. As more often than not when they had a pretty waitress he was instantly trying to talk her into going on a date with him.

Normally it didn't bother him that much, but with the girl here, it wasn't something he wanted Nathan to pull. Especially with the things she had gone through.

They were led to a booth and Reeve sat down in one of the seats of it.

The girl instantly leapt into the space next to him, not allowing anyone else, despite there only being Nathan, to do so.

He wanted to chuckle for a minute, Nathan doing it for him, before his friend sat down in the seat across from them.

"So, can I start you off with a couple of drinks?" The waitress asked them.

"Sure, I'll have water." Reeve responded somewhat flatly.

"Me too!" The girl followed with more enthusiasm.

"Heh. I'll have a coke." Nathan finished.

The girl nodded and wrote them down on a pad while giving them their menus.

"Okay, I'll get your drinks and then I'll be right back." She said with a smile. It wasn't an uncommon site, since all they wanted were tips.

It was somewhat distasteful to him; how these people scrambled around, acting happy when they might be completely miserable, just to get some extra change.

He'd heard the phrase "you've got to do what you've got to do" many times before. But that was untrue. To begin with there wasn't _anything _that you "had" to do. People simply fooled themselves into thinking that so they didn't have to admit they were choosing to do something against their will. They "had" to do it.

Then the girl leaned against him, looking at the menu he had propped open, and he forgot about his disagreements with the general populace.

"Have you decided what you want?" He asked her.

Her head shook against his shoulder.

"I don't know what all these things are. I don't eat very much."

"Hm. How about a salad then?"

Her head shook again.

"I don't like those. They taste like grass."

Nathan chuckled at her reflection upon salad and even Reeve gave a quick amused smile.

"How about a steak then?"

"Steak?"

"Yes. They make some pretty good ones here."

After a moment she nodded.

"Okay."

Nathan chuckled again.

"Ha, you'd think you'd never eaten a _steak _before. Haha."

Reeve felt himself start to scowl, angry that the remark, good intentions-filled though it was, might hurt her feelings.

But instead she gave a small giggle and shrugged.

"I don't, really. I think I just usually drink a lot."

"Really? What do ya drink?"

She looked up, at nothing in particular, thinking.

He felt himself relax a bit more.

Maybe talking about things like this wouldn't only not hurt her feelings but _help _her get her _memory_ back.

"Um, red… juice…"

"Red juice? Like Cranberry juice or something?"

She shrugged once again.

"Red juice."

Nathan gave another chuckle.

"I see. Well, what are _you _gonna have Reeve?"

"I'll probably just have a steak too. It doesn't really matter to me what I get. You?"

"Seventy-two-ounce sirloin. With steak sauce of course."

He stared at his friend, almost dumbly, for about a minute.

"You're _inhuman_." He spoke seriously, despite the fact it was a joke.

"Look who's _talking _demon-eyes." He returned, his eyes closed and a grin on his face.

Reeve didn't retort. He just looked away, at the wall.

He felt the girl hug him, and it made him feel better.

It wasn't until now that Nathan seemed to notice the comment had actually bothered him.

"Hey, man, sorry. I didn't really mean it."

"It's fine. Don't worry about it." He spoke, not wanting to make Nathan feel guilty but noting the hollowness behind his tone as he spoke it.

It was somewhat fortunate for them that the waitress came back, wondering what they wanted to eat.

All of them said what they wanted in a solemn, unhappy tone.

She took their orders and then their menus, before leaving to get their food.


	12. Deja vu

_**Dreams aren't always strictly a "good" dream or a nightmare.**_

_**Often, parts of the dream are "good" and other parts of the dream are "bad". **_

_**Sometimes these dreams have an equal amount of "good" or "bad", while others, one completely outnumbers the other.**_

_**And it takes little to shift a dream from one to the other. Whether it be a loved one making you feel better, or an unwanted guest appearing.**_

* * *

"Yeah, see you later." He told Nathan as his friend left, closing the door behind him.

After they'd eaten their food at the restaurant they'd tried to have a good time, but for some reason Reeve couldn't really get back into it.

It made him feel kind of bad that Nathan was now guilty over an unintentionally scalding comment, but that just made himself feel worse.

As he turned around to look at the girl again, he felt something wrap itself around him, holding him tight.

His demon-eyes looked down at it, seeing a mane of black and feeling the head pushed against his chest.

He sighed, the motivation for the girl to loosen the hug and look up at him, drawing a hand up towards his face.

Part of him wondered if he was about to have his evil eyes torn out for looking at someone like her with them.

But her soft fingertips only touched his forehead, trailing down it for a moment before coming away.

"They _aren't _demon eyes. I don't care what anyone says."

He stared at her, feeling something akin to sadness.

"I think they're beautiful."

As the girl's hand descended he brought up his own and caught it, not sure why he did so.

"Not being like everyone else… or the way they want you to be… there is not _anything _wrong with that Reeve."

He felt his expression go wide, hearing her reflect on something like that.

"I thought you knew that."

His expression returned to normal and his hand closed over hers.

"I do."

A small smile began to make its way onto her face.

"Then be happy."

He gave a quick breath of a laugh.

"I'll try."

She looked down, and they separated.

"If it'll make you happy, I'll do anythin-"

Reeve was cut off as something came up to his face and covered it with its own.

His eyes were wide again, staring like high beams at the closed eyes of the beautiful face in front of him as the kiss ended and she stepped back, looking up at him.

"I…uh…"

She gained what could only be called a "sleepy" humorous expression as he stumbled over his words.

"I've never kissed anyone I cared about before. Sorry, I… didn't know what to do."

The tiniest giggle came from her.

"Don't worry. You don't have to. I just wanted to thank you for saying something like that."

"_You just wanted to thank me huh?" _He thought, noticing his mind's voice sounded just a tad bit disappointed.

"Do I need to give you change back?" He joked, causing her to giggle again.

"No, that's okay. I enjoyed it as well. So we're even."

He smiled down at her and she took one of his hands into both of hers.

"Reeve, let's go somewhere."

"What?"

"You know; somewhere people go when they like each other."

He felt his breath get caught in his throat.

"You mean like the park or something?"

Her head tilted to the side, still smiling at him.

"Sure. Let's go to one."

"Right now?"

Her hands tightened around his and she stepped forward, her head upright again.

"Please, Reeve? I really want to."

Suddenly he was capable of breathing again and he hesitantly nodded.

As soon as she saw the "yes" gesture she beamed and jumped up and down.

"Yay! Thanks so much Reeve!" She virtually yelled, hugging him in an iron grip and pressing her chest just a little bit too tight against his own before coming back down.

"Do you know somewhere close?"

He thought about it for a millisecond and came up with something.

"Hyde park. It's not that far away. In addition to that, there's an ice cream stand."

"Ice cream?"

"It's very good. I'm sure you'll like it."

She nodded, and they headed out the door.

* * *

The park was packed today.

It must have been some kind of major party or something as there were so many people occasionally entire masses of them coagulated and became large blobs of humans.

That didn't matter though, because the girl had wanted to come here and have fun with him, so that's all he was here to do.

They got out of his car and closed the doors before he locked it and they both walked out to its front.

Luckily for them someone must have _just _left, as the two had managed to get a parking space right in front of the park itself, instead of having to walk a long distance.

Though thinking about it, with each other's company, that probably wouldn't have been tedious on either of the two, since they enjoyed the other's presence so much.

The instant they reached each other the girl grabbed one of his hands with her own and brushed up again his side.

Despite the fact he wasn't used to the contact, even with the past day or so of experience, it still felt kind of… nice.

They walked together over to a dirt path and walked along it.

The grass was soft, and there were plenty of trees along the path to shade them from the bright sun.

It was strange. Despite the fact there were so many people here he still felt… content. As if it were just the girl and him, walking here alone.

It turned out that there was a fair here for a few days. Which was most likely why all the people were here.

There were rides, food stands, and everything and, of course, the girl wanted to go on the "cutest" ride there was.

It didn't bother him, despite the fact she was getting him to go on the "Love bear round-and-round" ride that was essentially just a few "bears" with seats in their backs that went around in a fairly slow circle.

"Oh, Reeve, can we go on that please? Those bears are so cute!"

He chuckled at her pleading and nodded, getting a big nuzzle from her as they walked over to the ride and waited in line.

Eventually it came time for them to get on and, due to finding the pair "cute" they were allowed to ride despite the fact they weren't supposed to.

They got in the "bear car", having to bring up their knees since their legs were too long.

Somehow they managed to get the little belts on over them, even though the girl had an easier time than he did, and the ride began to start.

Her voice joined the little kids as they yelled "yay!" and it began moving slightly faster. Reeve quickly realized this was as fast as it was going to get, but was too busy being happy the girl was having fun to care.

The ride only went for a few rotations and soon ceased its movement. But that didn't stop her from jumping out of the "bear" the second she got her seatbelt undone and telling him she wanted to go on another ride.

"Which one?" He asked, managing to get his seatbelt off as well, and stepped out of the thing in a more modest, and much less energetic way.

She looked around, holding her hand over her eyes as she did so.

Soon her other hand leapt up and pointed past him, at a ride that, after turning around, Reeve saw was the same kind of one as this, except there were spiders connected to a fifty-foot-high tower meant to look like a wall with spider webs on it.

"_That _one! Those are even cuter than the _bears_!"

Reeve chuckled at the realization that she was talking about the spiders and nodded his consent, earning another big hug from the girl as they got off the ride and walked across the fair grounds to "Spider Tower". Which looked like a ride meant for people a little bit older than the "love bear" one.

He paid and then they were let on, the two taking up residence in a single spider.

They went through the same process as before, though this time the seatbelts felt a bit more reasonable, and once again the "cars" began to move around in the circle, though there was a very slight "wiggling" to give a feel that they were in a spider.

Within a minute or so the ride slowed, yet when it came to a stop instead of the operator telling them it was over, the spiders faced towards the tower and went towards it, facing upwards once they touched it and crawling up the thing before reaching the top.

The girl yelled out "yay!" once again as the spiders straightened out and repeated the circular movement from before, but higher up and with greater speed.

Yet despite the fast speed and impressive height, Reeve found himself incapable of paying any true attention to anything but the smiling girl.

She looked so happy, staring off into the sky as if it were the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. Her hair blowing with the wind and the sound of a musician playing some sort of happy song on a string instrument down below just made watching her all the more meaningful.

The spiders slowed down and then crawled down the tower before returning to their original positions and stopping, allowing them to get out.

Like before, she got out of the ride with great enthusiasm and energy, followed by Reeve, as the two walked around the fair, looking at various rides.

"Where do _you _want to go?" She asked him, smiling as usual.

Reeve just looked around, past the groups of people, many of whom were conversing on the musician's location, and spotted a big "scary" tower.

"How about the 'tower of terror'?" He joked.

The girl glanced up at the thing but soon looked away, as if it was painful to keep looking.

"That's… scary." She spoke, losing her smile.

His disappeared as well, and he drew closer to her before apologizing.

She instantly lightened up and smiled again.

"Don't worry about it!"

Reeve's smile came back as he looked down at her.

"_Like the wind; completely unpredictable."_

"Reeve, do you know where the bathrooms are? I think I drank too much water at that restaurant."

Despite the faint flush he gained at hearing the specifics, he nodded, and led her to where he remembered seeing them before. Luckily there were actual bathrooms here. So she wouldn't have to make do with a "porta potty" or anything like that.

"Want to come in with me?" She asked, causing his eyes to widen for a moment and for him to blush.

"What?" He stumbled out, causing her to giggle.

"Just kidding! No peaking now!" She told him happily while closing the door behind her, leaving him outside the lady's bathroom door, trying to make himself look less stupid now that she was gone.

And to think that before she had appeared in his life he had never lost his composure even once. Yet here he was losing it several times in a _day_.

He sighed, turning away from the bathroom door-

-and spotted the girl standing about twenty feet away, staring in his direction.

Reeve felt his brow furrow as he looked at the girl who had just gone into the bathroom, yet stood staring at him from the completely opposite direction.

"_Is that a haircut?"_

As soon as the thought passed through his mind, a family walked past her, and the girl was gone. He noticed, for a reason beyond his imagination, that the music had stopped.

Before he could so much as take a step toward where the girl had been the bathroom door opened behind him.

"I'm back! So what do you want to do next?" He heard the girl, her hair now normal length again, say as she jumped out of the doorway.

As he looked at her she frowned, as if noticing something on his face.

"What is it?"

It only took him a moment to shake his head, wondering if he hadn't gotten enough sleep or something.

"It's nothing. Just a little déjà vu."


	13. Sleepy Song

_**Occasionally you forget your dreams.**_

_**It may be a minute part of it, or perhaps the whole thing. **_

_**The **_**reason **_**we forget them have yet to be determined, as they are not all necessarily undesirable parts of your dream that you forget.**_

_**But imagine… if you forgot a dream that felt as if it were as long as a lifetime. A lifetime filled with nothing but sadness, misery, and suffering.**_

**Now **_**imagine if you were to remember all of this while you were **_**innocent**_**, with absolutely no harmful or impure intentions whatsoever. Would you be able to maintain who you are now? Or would you be lost to the turbulent, painful memories of your past life?**_

* * *

"Hey, Reeve, why are we going back so soon?" She asked, sounding mildly upset as he drove a mile faster than he normally did, the mediocre difference a definitive sign that something was bothering him.

Of course, no one knew about this little quirk but him.

"I thought I saw someone there that I don't want to be in contact with." He lied, knowing it would be too strange to tell her the truth. Yet it burned him to tell her anything dishonest.

"Were they sick or something?" She asked him, now sounding more curious than upset.

He shook his head.

"No, I just don't like being around them. I get a strange, unpleasant feeling when I am."

The girl looked forward once again, seeming interested, but didn't question him further.

Reeve was very grateful she decided to be quiet, as it gave him more time to think on what had happened.

Not once had Reeve had a hallucination. It didn't matter how tired he was or if he was worn out, neither being that common.

The most unsettling thing was that the feeling he'd had… about nothing affecting him in a negative way, or as a hindrance. For a brief moment he had been completely unsure of what was going on. And it hadn't been a pleasant feeling, like with this girl.

Thankfully, it was only temporary. And, no matter what, whether it be hallucinations or voices in his head, Reeve Roswell would _never _be helpless.

"If I fight a giant, I kill it with a pebble. If I come to a chasm, I climb down it, cross, and climb up the other side. That's the way things end. I _never _lose control." He thought with burning confidence.

It wasn't all that far to his house, and Reeve made it there in no time, pulling into his driveway not ten minutes after they'd left the park.

"So what are we going to do now Reeve?" She asked him, giving him a little smile.

"Well," He began, parking the car and pulling the keys out of the ignition.

", right now I'm just going to go up to my room and think. After that I'll see what we can do about having more fun."

"I can come _with _you up to your room, right?"

He looked at her, noticing behind her seemingly happy eyes there was a twinge of both worry and desperation.

"Of course. I'd never turn you away."

The twinges evaporated and the smile got bigger.

"Thank you Reeve."

Despite his contemplations, he felt himself smile in response.

"Anything for you."

Her smile changed, becoming deeper and filled with more meaning.

For a second his smile got bigger too, then at the same time they both looked away and got out of the car.

They walked up the small path of stones to the door, this time the girl not stopping to examine the flowers, and entered the house.

Almost immediately Reeve felt as if he were being dragged upstairs by his own thoughts as he pondered how what had happened _could _have happened.

He heard the girl running up the stairs after him as fast as she could, but tripped on her dress and fell, face-first-into the stairs.

"Ow." She said, snapping him out of his thought-filled rampage up the stairs and allowing him to run back down them, his traction fine the whole way, and help her up.

"I'm sorry, are you okay? " He asked her, being met with a bloody smile.

"Oh I'm fine. Thanks for asking."

He kept his mind calm even though his heart was beating at a mad pace.

"Something in your mouth is bleeding." He informed her, trying to look into it.

"I just bit my tongue. It's okay." The girl spoke, sounding genuine.

"But there's nothing wrong with your speech, usually whenever someone bites their tongue their words sound different for a while."

The girl shrugged and stood up, the two walking up the stairs with the girl acting like nothing had ever happened.

This time neither of them moved at a fast pace, and both of them walked to his bedroom normally.

When they reached the bedroom they entered it and the girl immediately headed for the bathroom as he closed the door behind them.

"Were you going to take another bath?" He asked her, knowing by "normal person" standards that it was a rude question to ask.

"You said you wanted to think, right? I think I'll give you some time to think alone." She told him as she reached the bathroom door, surprising him that she knew what his preferred "atmosphere for thinking" was, despite the fact she seemed to lack sensitivity.

"But I think I'll take a bath too. I want to try that bubble-bath stuff I got at the 'mall'."

His brow furrowed.

"When did you get that?"

She giggled and pranced through the doorway.

"I'm ultra-sneaky when I try. I could get you out of your shoes and you'd never expect a thing."

He chuckled a bit as he approached the bed.

"I see. Well, I'll be sure to watch out for that. Have a nice bath."

She gave him a big smile before saying "thanks" and closing the door behind her.

Reeve looked at the bed, thinking about sitting down on it, but ultimately decided against it, deciding instead to go over to his computer again and listen to the rest of that song.

Something told him his thoughts would clear up if he listened to that.

He made his way over to the computer, hearing the girl start the water in the tub as he did so.

A simple flick of the mouse and the screen came back to life, still hovering over the "play" button.

Once again he clicked the mouse, and the song began once more, the sad tune opening it up for him.

Reeve sat in the computer chair and closed his eyes, listening to the music as he tried to clear his mind of any and all stress,

The instruments were all beautiful and well-played, but when their part ended and he heard a silence, that could very well have been described as the end of his "normal life".

A lone voice sounded out, sounding more beautiful than all of the instruments combined.

Her voice, it was a female, slowly began singing in what sounded like Latin, though he had to admit it was hard to pay attention to the words themselves due to his being lost in her voice.

Though the voice was definitely a beautiful one, he couldn't explain why he was mesmerized by it, and without the person's actual _presence _no less.

It was as if the girl had manifested herself into audible form; the beauty, the sadness, the loneliness… it was all there.

As the girl's singing ceased for a moment, he found himself torn from his own mind and dragged into the song, waiting in eager anticipation for her voice to sound out once again.

However, when it obliged it was accompanied by an angry volley from the instruments and sounded more distressed, yet angry at the same time.

The girl's voice resounded throughout his mind and even more so, his soul. And though it sounded intense and angry on the surface, beneath it he could hear her sadness blazing even hotter than before.

The music, and more importantly her beautiful, pure sound flew up and down, like an ocean shaken by a world-wide earthquake that sent tsunamis cascading into each other and crashing as a verse ended, only to shake the world once more with the next one.

Time and time again he felt as if there were butterflies in his stomach and Reeve's heart pounded against his chest as she neared the end of what was hers and only _her _song; the instruments long forgotten.

Her voice rose and fell, the oceans becoming one massive wave that kept fluctuating and growing larger and larger until finally she reached the end, and reached a pitch everyday people could only _dream _of reaching, smashing the massive wave down and enveloping the world. Consequently washing him out of it and back into the _real _world.

It was as if he'd lost track of time, and, like when you go to sleep, the transition from being conscious and unconscious was seamless.

Then, he heard the voice begin to sing again. Only it wasn't coming from the computer. It was coming from the _bathroom_.


	14. Helpless

_**Beware of your good dreams.**_

_**For they may turn into nightmares.**_

* * *

Reeve actually felt a drop of sweat roll down his brow as he heard the exact same angelic voice he'd heard on his computer call back to him, although it sounded even _more _immaculate than before since it was coming from the person herself.

"But how could she be the singer? There's no way that if she were a famous opera star she would just get _lost _or _abandoned._" He thought, the question whirling around in his mind.

The eerie, yet beautiful voice penetrated the walls of his room as well as the walls of his mind and Reeve actually felt hypnotized for a few moments.

Then the song ended after the first verse and Reeve wondered what had happened.

A few seconds of uncomfortable silence followed.

Reeve didn't hear the water running, but he didn't know if that meant the girl had finished filling up the tub, or had simply turned it off when she began to sing.

Part of him wanted to enter the bathroom and see if something had happened, but the rest of him knew that would be impulsive and stupid.

Just as he decided to go to the door and just listen through it, he heard the doorknob turn, slowly.

Reeve stood up from the chair, his eyes fixed on the door as it slowly began to shift open.

As it did felt… cold air enter the room, though that would have been impossible it felt like a cold wind just blew over him.

The door opened all the way, yet no one stepped out.

He waited a few seconds… nothing.

Just walking over to the doorway wouldn't do. It would be inappropriate. So instead Reeve merely walked until he was in front of his bed, the side of which pointed in the bathroom's direction.

It was then that he saw the girl, still in her dress, standing behind the doorway,

She was smiling… but… what was _with _that? It didn't feel like a normal smile, or any of the ones he'd seen her wear before. It looked more like the permanent curve in a feline's mouth, whether it be a cat or a lion, pursed up regardless of what was going on.

And her eyes, the way they stared at him was much different than usual. It was as if she'd _marked_ him. It wasn't a look of affection or anything on an emotional level; it was a look of a predator that had just found some suitable prey.

Reeve didn't let that shake him too much. Or at least… not enough that he really showed it.

He swallowed.

"Did something happen?" He asked her as the girl walked out of the doorway, towards him.

"You're such a nice boy." She told him, not seeming to hear what he'd said.

"'boy'?" He thought, not understanding why she would say such a thing.

"Um… thanks." He responded hesitantly.

The smile on her face deepened, though he wasn't sure that was a good thing.

"I haven't thanked you yet… have I?" She asked, Reeve not sure if it was a genuine question or a rhetorical one.

"…for _what_?"

The girl's head tilted just a bit as she neared him.

"I came back out here to see you."

One of his feet took a step back, and he had no idea why it did.

For some reason it felt like every muscle in his body was frozen stiff in fear.

"What's going on? Why is she acting so differently?" He asked himself in his head as she reached him, reaching out with one of her hands and touching his cheek, which twitched at the unfamiliar contact.

The hand moved back along his face until it reached the back of his head and held it.

She leaned forward, her face approaching his.

Just as their lips were about to make contact his head jolted back, though not that far since her hand was in the way.

He saw her smile deepen even further as she moved forward once again, this time holding his head still so it couldn't move, and kissed him softly.

His surprise at the kiss allowed her to get her tongue into his mouth, that combined with the fact she was tugging at his belt, made his expression go wide.

One of his hands rose slowly, as if moving through some thick substance that resisted it, as she opened his belt and pull it off with a sliding sound, the thing making a noise as it hit the floor that he, for some reason, could barely hear.

The hand that had removed his belt came up and intertwined its fingers with the "freed" hand of _his_ as she slowly pushed him over, lying the both of them on the bed.

His other hand tried to rise but the hand that had been holding his head moved to cover _that _one with her own as _well_.

Reeve felt his body trembling.

Why? What was this? This… hesitation. He'd never felt it before.

She moved up a bit, far enough away that he could see that she was _pleased _with this.

"What the hell is going on?! Why won't you _move_?! Why is she _acting _this _way_?!" Reeve yelled inside his head at his body.

Her hand pulled his down, the rest of the girl sliding down his body until she'd gone down past his stomach.

She pulled the fabric atop the button of his pants off with her teeth, then moved to the zipper….

"Charisma." He thought, his mind suddenly going clear and the trembling ceasing.

"That's all it is. This 'power' of hers, it's nothing but unshakable charisma; something I couldn't see because I thought she was different than most people." He continued to ponder in his head as she pulled the zipper down with her teeth.

"Though it _does _fit your uniqueness; being a girl who uses her charisma to rape _males. _I've never heard of that before." He spoke out loud, staring at the ceiling.

The girl paused, taking a moment to look up at him in curiosity.

"It's actually rather painful… this realization." He spoke, his left arm beginning to tremble again, though for a much different reason.

"In the end, I was nothing more to you than a mark, like some sort of experiment."

She continued looking at him, though her mouth began to dip towards his pelvis.

"I wish I'd left you in that alley."

The girl flinched, and he felt the force holding his hands down lessen.

He threw her hands from his own and turned away from her, lunging over the bed and rolling as he hit the floor, pulling the zipper back up on his pants and re-buttoning them as well before coming up again and pulling the drapes covering his window open, revealing a large window that stood three-stories above a large garden below.

"I can't believe I actually let my guard down when I was around you." He regretted out loud.

She stood up, looking down for a moment.

His resolve shook for a moment, wondering if she was too ashamed to look up.

Then her head rose confidently, shining blue eyes looking at him as if he'd just made it more interesting.

"Come on, now. Don't be so stubborn." She spoke almost playfully before disappearing.

"What?" He thought, backing up into something.

Hands came up and held him still from behind, causing him once more to give a surprised expression as he felt her breath on his neck.

"There, now. Don't worry, this won't take long."

A second later Reeve felt teeth bite into his neck and his eyes bulged.

"Agh…" He grunted as his left hand's veins pulsated, the same time he felt the blood in his neck rapidly being sucked out.

"You… _damnit_!" He yelled, a roar that came from deeper inside him than he knew possible, tearing himself from her and spinning around, grabbing the back of her head and throwing her back onto the bed, stepping back once more as he held his bleeding neck.

It didn't take long for the vampire-girl to get back up and off the bed, walking towards him once again.

"No." He told her with a strained voice, despite the fact she was still coming.

"No more handouts for you. You're going to have to _work _for your _meal_!" He roared before turning about and diving out of the window, shattering it and getting small shards embedded in his body as he aimed for a tall group of bushes.

He hit his mark, of course he did, but that didn't keep him from _feeling _like his bones had been crushed when he landed in them, still taking a good brunt of the fall,.

Still, despite his wounds, Reeve leapt out from the bushes and ran through the maze of tall flowers and plants.

At the very least he had _one _advantage over her; he knew the layout of this garden.

It was faint, but Reeve heard her land in the garden as well. The elegantly quiet sound seeming perfect for her.

"No more flattery." He thought, not stupid enough to say it out loud.

"There's always a way to kill something. And if nothing else, decapitation should work." He continued to think, making rights and lefts so quick it soon became more muscle memory than conscious thought.

Considering that she had been strong enough to hold him down, she was probably _capable_ of just walking _through _the hedges and plants, but he doubted that she would.

It didn't matter, regardless, he was almost there.

His left arm was disconnected and he had cuts and bruises all over his body, which was to be expected when you jump out of a window that's three stories off the ground.

"How ironic." He thought, even his _mind's _voice sounding strained.

"I _rescued her _when one of her arms was disconnected and she'd been hurt, now she's _chasing me_ when one of _my_ arms are disconnected and I'm hurt."

Suddenly the maze ended, and he came upon a small clearing with a white pagoda in the middle of it, the area around it and, since this was at a very corner of the property, around the edge of the _walls _of the clearing was covered in roses of various colors.

Climbing roses covered the 20ft tall walls and regular roses were spread across the perimeter of both the pagoda and the clearing.

This, he had actually designed himself, when the garden was being built.

Strange, as he walked across the clearing and up into the pagoda he thought he saw a _blue _rose.

"Impossible. They don't exist." He remarked, staring up at the support beams of the pagoda and spotting a long box held up by the rafters.

"There you are." He spoke, his voice no longer sounding strained.

He only had two friends. One of them was Nathan, and the other lie in that box.

Reeve's mouth actually turned upwards for a moment as he looked at the box, feeling what was inside of it.

Then he brought up his hand and pushed his shoulder back into its joint, having no choice but to growl out in pain and frustration since he didn't want to bite his tongue or crack any teeth.

She would definitely know where he was now, and more than likely had gotten tired looking for him.

The vampire girl would be here soon.

Reeve reached up and grabbed hold of the box, pulling it down from the rafters and setting its dusty form on the floor of the pagoda.

His heart faltered for a moment.

Even though the girl was obviously trying to kill him now, his mind and "heart" remained focused on who _he _had known her to be; an innocent girl whose soul hadn't been touched by violence, ill intentions or anything else that was impure.

And for a second, he wondered, could she return to the way she was?

Then his left arm began reaching for the latch on the box, moving before he'd told it to, and he guessed it didn't really matter.

"Either she finds me and kills me… or she finds me and I kill her." He thought, no longer bothering to keep it to himself.

The only chance he'd had at being happy, and he was about to try and kill it. One way or the other, this fight would tear him apart.

Reeve Roswell knelt there in front of his friend, completely helpless.


	15. Kill me

**_Many things can be found in dreams, and they all yield reactions._**

**_From those reactions, which we are rarely in control of, we develop feelings towards what we have done or what has been done to us._**

**_Like everything else, these feelings can be good or bad. Yet the worst thing of all could be said that something that you thought was good, turns out to be bad._**

**_And what if that were to happen in real life? If your most trusted, loved person whom you had opened yourself up to betrayed you?_**

**_Some would kill them. Others would attempt to find another to share their heart with._**

**_While still others, would simply give up on life._**

* * *

His fingers flipped up the latch on the box, which was more like a case housing an important item than just a random box.

Though every second counted right now, for some reason he felt incapable of opening the lid right away.

It was as if his inability to open the lid of the case was fueled by an extreme embarrassment at having not looked at his friend for so long.

Then he thought he heard it tell him it forgave him, though it couldn't possibly have, and threw open the lid.

What awaited below it was not what you'd expect; papers. A whole case filled to the top with the papers, that's how it would look to _anyone_.

And they would be _half right_, and these papers were the closest to sentimental objects he had. They were all of the projects he and Nathan, from kindergarten to present, had worked on together.

Since his parent's connections, which meant absolutely nothing now, enabled him to have whoever he wanted in his classroom ever year, he'd always chosen to have Nathan in the class with him.

And whenever a group project was announced he always made sure that they worked together. The papers, both finished and rough drafts and even Nathan's _doodles _they _did _work, they were all in here.

That was part of the reason this case was so big, when his friend wasn't nearly as wide.

Reeve gazed at the messy handwriting that was Nathan's signature. And reflected on how he was probably the only person who would care if he were to die. After all, his parents were and had always been more interested in maintaining their reputation than raising him, which was one of the reasons he'd become so self-reliant.

And he knew that Nathan would never betray him, unlike someone else. Though that was just as much his fault as hers.

"It doesn't matter." He reflected out loud.

Reeve gazed at his friends writings and drawings for a few more moments before reaching down past the papers and feeling for the groove.

He found it and pulled the lower lid up and then softly set it down on the wood floor of the pagoda.

Below _that _was foam molding, meant to hold up the "fake bottom" evenly, and a long object in a white silk bag.

"How appropriate." He thought.

"That the place you originated from considers white the color of death, and that that is what I see before meeting you again."

The feeling blew away and he lifted the thing up out of the case, undoing the ties that held the silk bag closed.

They had been fastened as securely as he possibly could and Reeve had spent an hour doing so, just to make sure it was done well enough.

Finally they all slipped free, and the top of the bag fell down slightly, revealing a bright-grey-braided hilt, the pommel; or base ornament at the bottom of hilt, was dark iron and had four half-inch-long spikes, uncharacteristic for the type of sword.

His eyes became shaded, staring at the object that was, to him, more beautiful than any other site you could see in the world.

Reeve pulled the bag down more, showing the tsuba, hand-guard that was the same material as the pommel. Engraved in it was a wolf's face, its eyes jewels of opposing red and violet.

Reeve let the bag fall down more, so he could grip the scabbard affectionately, and then threw the bag away, the thing no longer existing to him.

The wood scabbard had an ebony finish that mixed with an opposing ivory one, as if the view you would see during your twilight.

Engraved in the scabbard, but filled in with bright white, was a saying he'd made sure the makers put into it "Wolves among dogs". That's what he and Nathan, and this sword, were.

Despite Nathan's external demeanor, in the end, they shared the same spirit, whether it be a physical thing or just an emotional connect.

"I was a fool to think there was someone else who gave a damn." He spoke, standing up and pulling his friend slowly from its sheath, gazing at the perfectly-finished blade.

It had been a stupid thing, but when he got his parents to get him a custom-made sword Reeve had sent the makers a box with an entire container full of blood in it, with orders that they apply it throughout the process.

To his knowledge, it was the only foolish thing he'd ever done before meeting that girl. But he had been younger then, and wanted his "sword to have him in it".

"Most likely, that blood just messed up the process and hurt you." He told the blade, aware that it wasn't alive, but feeling something in it.

Though he knew it couldn't be anything but his imagination, he felt his heart beating within the sword.

It had truly marked the time when he gave up on people, realizing how cowardly, foolish, and utterly ignorant they all were.

"And I turned out to be no different; trusting a girl I'd never met just because I had some sort of feelings for her. I wonder if I even deserve to hold you anymore."

He felt his subconscious tell him it was okay, and stood up, turning around and gazing back at the entrance to the clearing.

She stood at the end of the maze, looking at him with those shining blue eyes of his.

"Let's go." He told the sword, and felt it pulsate.

Then Reeve snarled and set the scabbard on the ground, running at the girl.

She stood there, not moving, but staring at him.

Reeve didn't know why she did so, and didn't care.

His feet pounded across the grassed earth and he brought the sword up, slicing down towards her neck, aiming to cut her head off.

Then something that he hadn't considered; the brightness of her eyes faded, and they peered out at him, looking…

"No, it's just a ploy." He told himself as the sword seemed to slowly sail through the air, though it must have been moving extremely fast.

They looked at him, trembling. Was it in fear? No, she must have been capable of dodging the blade. Yet why was it that she hadn't disappeared before? Hadn't somehow managed to reach behind him and attempt to bite him again?

Reeve noticed her lip doing the same thing.

Why was she trembling? That wasn't something an unnatural predator did. It just killed. That's all there was to it. So why…

"Reeve?" She asked him, and his expression went wide, the blade stopping in mid-air as he realized what happened.

"Reeve… don't…" She begged him, and the sword slowly began to lower.

"No…please…don't stop."

His heart skipped and took a step forward, too close to her.

"Do it…please…I…these memories that I have… they're terrible…"

It was his turn to tremble, though he had no idea why.

"I already did such terrible things to you… I don't want that to happen again. I don't want to hurt you…"

His "demon eyes" trembled much like hers had, his heart faltering.

"Just kill me. Please."

Then his hesitation ceased, and she closed her eyes, accepting her fate.

A sword rose.

Then it swept down towards her neck.


	16. Diva

_**Through horrible nightmares, people often go, only to discover at the end blackness and wake up. **_

_**You can be beaten, slashed, cut, maimed, crushed, burnt, melted, frozen… you can have experienced all of these things and more, and yet when you wake up they'll have never happened.**_

_**Normally these things scare you so badly that you don't wish to go back to sleep again. **_

_**Sometimes they stay with you for the rest of your life.**_

_**But it can **_**also **_**be true that the only thing you need to go back to sleep, peacefully, is the knowledge that you sleep next to someone you love.**_

* * *

A loud clang sounded out through the air as two pieces of metal collided.

The girl's eyes were wide as she discovered she was still alive and that Reeve was now behind her.

He himself couldn't see her reaction as he struggled to fight against the other sword.

Pushing on the sword that he fought against was "the girl", only her hair was shorter, her skin was darker and she had _brown _eyes instead of _blue _ones.

It _hadn't _been déjà vu. She must have had a twin.

For a moment the twin had looked surprised that he had blocked her strike, but soon had put all her efforts into pushing him away.

"Saya." He heard the girl say from behind him, obviously knowing who she was.

"What do you want?" Reeve asked her, his voice even and calm once again.

"It's none of your business, please leave." She requested of him, despite the fact she was trying to push him off balance with a razor-sharp sword.

"Is that so?" He asked as his feet began to get pushed back through the ground.

To be honest, he was still surprised that he could be losing in a test of strength against a thin teenage-girl. But obviously _she _wasn't normal _either_.

"Reeve, please, just leave, it's okay." He heard the girl say from over his shoulder.

"No, it isn't." He responded in an angry tone, seeming to scare her.

"I have absolutely no idea what is going on here; first you regained your memories and attacked me, then you somehow regained yourself and wanted me to _kill_ you. Now this girl that looks almost exactly like you shows up to kill you." Reeve explained, his voice beginning to sound strained.

Then he stopped pushing against "Saya's" sword and instead redirected it down into the ground, grabbing her right, sword-hand's wrist as he slammed her in the forehead with the pommel of his sword.

Apparently she wasn't as "invulnerable" as the girl had been, since she let go of the sword and stumbled away, holding her head.

"I know that I don't really deserve anything, but I'd appreciate if someone told me what's happening right now."

"You have no idea who- _what_ it is that you're protecting." Saya told him with a heavy tone of pain in her voice.

"Diva has killed _hundreds _of people for more than a hundred years, and most of those people were completely innocent. They hadn't done anything to hurt or even _insult _her. She hurts people for _fun_! And she manipulates even people who are loyal to her like it's some sort of game! _That's _what you've been protecting!"

His expression didn't change at all as he glanced back at "Diva", finally learning her name.

It was a rare name, it suited her.

"I see, I understand now why you are trying to kill her." He spoke, seeing a strange look in Saya's eyes as she stood up again, her hand coming away from her forehead, which he wasn't surprised didn't even have a bump.

"Reeve…"

"But at the same time, you're wrong."

Saya's expression switched between absolute confusion and immense anger.

"Perhaps the girl you're talking about used to do that, but there is someone _else _in there _with _her, or at the very least, another side of her that has no ill intentions whatsoever. I have no idea what she's done in the past, but I got a pretty good sampler of it."

His sword came up, pointing at Saya.

"But if you think that a little jumping around and an overdone hicky is going to make me bend her over and chop her head off, you're sorely mistaken."

The enraged twin stamped forward, her eyes turning fiery red.

"You don't understand!"

A tip of metal found its way to her throat, poking against it, but not opening the soft skin that lay there.

"I _do _understand. Yet it's obvious that she could have killed me by now, and hasn't. I'm not sure how much of _your _Diva has taken her over, but, and I hate to make it sound like she's property, _my _Diva is still there. And I'm not about to kill her or allow _you _to kill her in the name of "better safe than sorry."

"And if you _try _to kill her, I'll cut your head off. Unless you're some sort of mutant strain of cockroach, that will kill you _regardless _of whether or not you have red LED lights in the back of your head."

Though the hatred didn't disappear he saw it recede somewhat at the realization that he could do what he warned her of.

"If this is so important to you, this is the Roswell residence. It is in the phonebook. Take your sword, leave, and call sometime. We can set up a meeting like civilized, thinking beings. Or would you prefer to hack at each other until the end of time?"

"But-"

"She's not going anywhere." He responded to the question he knew she'd ask.

They stared off for a few more moments, her blazing red eyes meeting his unnatural red and violet ones.

Then she backed away and Reeve picked up her sword, throwing it blade first into the ground nearby her, sticking straight up.

Saya took the sword and hesitantly slid it back into its sheath.

"You're making a mistake." She said.

He didn't so much as blink.

With a sigh, she turned about and ran back through the maze, soon disappearing from sight.

They waited for multiple minutes until he was absolutely sure she had left the garden, then his sword came back down.

"Reeve-"

"If you want me to kill you, I'm afraid I won't be willing to oblige that request." He told her while turning to face her.

Diva stepped forward, not as violently as Saya had before but with even more desperation behind it.

"But all those things she said are _true_! What if I go back to the way I was before and-"

"That's enough." He told her sternly, regretting that it seemed to be necessary to do so.

Her plead silenced, and she looked straight into his eyes.

"I'm not sure what yours and her history are, either with each other or on your own, and in terms of using your past to judge you, I don't really _care_. The you that I know is strong; strong enough to get past all of what you used to be, if only after a delay, just because you didn't want to hurt me. You were willing to _die _because you didn't want to let yourself do anymore damage to me than you had already done."

She looked down, seeming defeated.

"You know that I'm different than the other mindless dogs out there who only think what they've been taught during their life. I don't care if you've killed hundreds of people; they weren't anyone I cared about. I don't care if you've been alive for more than a hundred years; you look and act young to me. And I don't _care _if you hurt people for fun; they invented a wonderful technology called videogames to do that in."

A tiny, sad smile, the likes of which he'd hoped never to see on he face again, emerged.

"But, more than any of that, you looked into these damnable eyes of mine and said that they were beautiful, that I _wasn't _a freak or a demon. And for _that _I don't care if you've murdered the majority of the world's population."

Diva looked up at him, the sadness in _her _eyes only matched by the sadness in _his_."

"Besides, it's not all your fault. It never is. There's always some other factor holding someone back from acting a different way. And if the only way to make you 'suitable' for that sister of yours to be willing to leave you alone, then I will help you be that way. If you want."

The girl stepped forward once again, very close to him.

"But what if I lose control again? It was so hard for me just to be normal _this _time."

Reeve brought up his free hand, hesitantly bringing it up to her cheek.

"I don't want to make you be 'my' Diva; I want to merge the two so that you don't have to struggle with that control. Do you still remember everything?"

Diva looked down for a moment, in thought.

"Well, I know it's all there now, but I can really get to it. I'm not sure if I could remember it all if I _tried_."

He smiled at her, and moved his hand to her chin, softly pulling it up to face him.

"That's good then. If you only remember a little bit at a time then we can work through it together. If you only have to put up with a few memories at once, I think we can handle it."

The girl swallowed.

"And what if we can't?" She asked, sounding terrified of the alternative.

"If we can't… then when you kill me make sure to drink _all _my blood so that you'll be too strong for that sister of yours to defeat."

She shook her head, grabbing him around the back and hugging tightly to him.

"Don't say that."

His smile deepened.

"You've been through some horrible things, Diva. Just from when _I've _known you. I don't know about anyone else, but _I _think you should get another chance before we just burn you calling you a witch. Though maybe I'm just strange that way."

He felt a single tear manage its way out of her, the first he'd witnessed.

"You're not strange, Reeve. Not to me."

His free arm came around and hugged her back.

"That's all I need to keep going."


	17. Sleeping pains

_**It is fortunate that you feel no pain while in your dreams.**_

_**Within a dream, which is merely an extension of your imagination, the possibilities are endless.**_

_**This includes overwhelmingly comfortable things, as well as mind-numbingly painful things.**_

**_Unfortunately it has never been discovered what would actually happen should you die in your dreams, but perhaps _worse _would be to have a terrible dream and feel _pain _inside it._**

_**After all, if the only limit to the pain you can receive is imagination there isn't a single person in the world whose mind could survive such an ordeal.**_

* * *

He gazed at the sword one more time before putting it back in the white silk bag and tying it up.

Though it hurt him somewhat to tie it quickly as opposed to taking his time, Reeve realized that it wouldn't make it any more secure if he took an hour than if he took a minute.

One last sound of the ties "slipping" together he'd finished and put it back in the case before carefully setting the "lid" with the papers on it back into the case, finally closing the top lid and latching it.

Diva sat on the steps of the pagoda, seeming to be thinking about something as he lifted the case up over his shoulders-

-and felt something tear beneath his arm.

Reeve gnashed his teeth together as he finished pushing the box up into the rafters but was breathing heavily when he came back down, holding his underarm lightly.

At first he'd tried to apply pressure, but when he felt a piece of glass digging into his underarm _more _decided it would be best to bleed a bit now than to not be able to get the glass out later.

He walked over to Diva, who stood up looking at him.

"What's wrong?" She asked him.

The tone in which she asked made him give a mental sigh.

She sounded curious, not worried.

Though he was sure she would care if she were sensitive enough, it seemed that they had quite a bit of work to do.

"At first I'd thought she'd almost completely overcome the way she used to be since she 'changed back' for me. But I guess not." He thought.

Really, though, the only thing that was crucial right now was that she hadn't returned to that way she had been after coming out of the bathroom.

"If she'd been that way I don't think I would have stopped her- I don't think I would have stopped _myself _from killing her." He continued to ponder in his head.

Though it was quite possible that both of them would have been incapable of killing her as she'd been before.

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

She frowned.

"No you won't."

Reeve gave her a curious look.

"I… can smell your blood, Reeve." She told him, still frowning.

"No embarrassment either." He thought.

"Don't worry. Humans may not have any super-powers, but I'll do just fine if given enough time to heal. But first I have to get these shards of glass out of me."

Diva nodded, another one of her "unique" reactions to something like this, and walked alongside him.

"Hey, Reeve, how do we get out of here anyway?" She asked him curiously as they made their way through the maze, the young man finally realizing how irritating the complexity of it could be, since he felt multiple sharp sensations every time they made a turn.

"There's a door that leads to the back of the first floor, we can grow through the halls there and back up to the lobby."

Her head tilted.

"That will take a while. Why don't I just carry you and jump up into your room?"

He scowled, though not specifically at her, in general.

"I know this is stubborn of me but… I would rather bleed to death clutching to my glass-wounds than be carried _anywhere_." He spoke, trying to sound at least slightly humorous.

It didn't matter. She laughed anyway.

"How about getting you a little bonnet then too? I saw a deal for those Huggies things somewhere in the mall too."

Despite himself, Reeve began to growl.

"You've certainly gotten more… playful since we headed back. And I was unaware you had such an eye for sales. I guess you're a female after all."

She didn't lose her smile, not succumbing to his attempt at an amusing retort.

"I like playing with you, Reeve. It's funny to hear you respond all seriously." She teased.

"You sound interested in the sale. I could probably find the place if you'd like."

His head dipped, as if avoiding enemy fire.

"I think I'm going to allow myself to bleed to death now." He spoke exhaustedly.

"You can't die. I don't want you to." She responded matter-of-factly.

Reeve jiggled his head a bit as if saying "ooooooh!" making Diva giggle again.

They made lefts and rights, and one U-turn Diva reminded him of when they went the wrong was once, until at last they emerged from the maze.

He stared up at his window as they grew within several yards of it, then looking at the door on the first floor.

"Reeve…."

"I don't want to."

She giggled.

"You know it's the better way, come on." She teased.

He sighed, looking up at his window again.

Virtually all of the glass had fallen from the frame by now, so it wouldn't be very dangerous to go in that way…

"Fine, but I want to do it my way." He responded.

"We'll do it any way you want."

He sighed once again.

"I'll put my arm over your shoulder and you hold it, then you hold my side with your other hand, then you, we, jump up there."

"Alright." She responded, her eyes closed and her lips smiling like normal, as if imagining a more desired way of doing so."

Reeve stayed far away from asking her what she was thinking about and instead drew closer to her, putting the arm he'd been using to cover the other's wound in around her shoulder.

She held his hand softly, so softly he didn't know if it would have a strong enough grip, and then felt her other arm come around his side. He knelt down a little, due to their difference in height.

"One, two-" She began.

"I knew it."

"Three." She spoke, jumping a second before counting it off just to catch him by surprise, and then they'd leapt into the air, raising an impossible distance in one jump.

Their angle seemed perfect as suddenly they began moving more horizontally than vertically, then they landed softly on the floor of his room.

She let go of him and walked forward, hopping onto his bed and laying face-down on it, nuzzling against the pillows.

He gave a little grin before heading towards the bathroom.

On his way Reeve saw her head pop up like a groundhog from its hole.

"Do you want to take a bath with me?"

"I was going to use it for a different reason. If you want to take a bath I'll get what I want from in there and then leave."

As he made his way over to the bathroom he lost sight of her, enabling who knew how many practical joke opportunities.

When he reached the bathroom and didn't have someone covering his eyes asking who it was he'd thought he had gotten away, only to discover as he shut the door that she was waiting behind it for him.

"How about hide-and-seek then?" She asked him normally, scanning his eyes for any trace of surprise.

However, Reeve had entered the bathroom half expecting her to be in the bathtub singing "Ring around the rosie" so he'd felt little surprise when she turned out to simply be hiding.

"I've got something else to do right now, I'm afraid." He told her politely while heading for the cabinets.

"Oh, come on, it'll be fun." She told him, reaching around and gripping his left arm.

Reeve felt pain surge through his shoulder as she gripped the exact spot he'd pushed back into its socket before.

"Please…let…go." He spoke very slowly, suppressing an angry yelling.

The hand fell away as if it'd been slapped.

"Sorry." She apologized.

"Well, at the very least she knows how to do _that_. Even if she didn't sound like she was." He thought, glad the "sorry" lecture wouldn't be something that would be necessary to give her.

"Don't worry about it." He said while opening the cabinet doors and pulling out an assortment of supplies he would require.

"Can I watch? She asked curiously, Reeve once again suppressing any angry tendencies.

"If you'd like. But please don't talk when I'm 'working'."

The girl sat down on the small bathroom stool and gazed at him.

"Okay."

Soon a sewing needle, thread, gauze, antiseptic, pads and tweezers were on the counter around the sink and he removed everything from its container or packing that required it.

It was with some uncomfortably that he did so, butt Reeve then took off his shirt, well aware it would be much easier to get the things out if he didn't have to put up with torn fabric in the way, halfway at getting the shirt off however Reeve stopped, looking back at Diva.

"Won't seeing blood make your thirst for it come back?" He asked.

She shrugged.

Another sigh came from him as Reeve decided it didn't really matter and took his shirt off.

The piece imbedded in his underarm was the most essential to get out now, since the longer it was there the longer it could come into contact with the artery that lie under his arm.

He took hold of the tweezers and brought his left arm up, ignoring the pain he got in both his shoulder and the cut itself.

Using the mirror's added viewpoint to assist in his finding it Reeve noticed with a minute amount of gratitude, that the piece was fairly large.

That meant there would be more to stitch up, but it _also _meant that getting it out wouldn't be as big of a deal.

He grabbed the "red" glass, feeling a tiny vibration within the cut itself that felt more awkward than painful, before pulling it out slowly.

Compared to digging around the muscle for it this was fairly painless and it wasn't difficult to suppress a sound or to keep normal breathing as he pulled the roughly four-inch-long piece of glass out of his underarm.

Quickly moving it down and dropping it into the sink, Reeve grabbed a hand towel and put it over the wound, now applying steady pressure and waiting.

"That looks fun." Diva told him in a flat tone which made it impossible to tell if she was serious, joking or just being outright sarcastic. Though he guessed it would most likely be the second one.

"To tell the truth I'd rather be putting gas in my car with an eyedropper, but it's not something that would be wise to avoid."

"Because it will hurt?" She asked curiously.

"Because if it goes into the artery beneath my arm I will most likely die." He corrected her, not sounding snappy but not sounding positive either.

"Don't do that." She told him normally as if telling him not to make a bagel when they were about to eat breakfast. Strange example though it may be that was how uncaring she sounded.

"Because you haven't finished playing around with me yet?" He inquired, trying to keep the sarcasm in his voice low.

"That, and for other reasons."

One of his eyebrows in curiosity.

"What would those be?"

"I'm not telling you!" She said happily and causing him to sigh again, which, in turn, caused _her _to _giggle _again.

By now he checked to see if the bleeding had stopped. It had, though for how long he didn't know.

Quickly Reeve dropped the bloodied hand towel onto the counter and fed the end of the thread through the needle.

However, it was insanely difficult to tie it off with only one hand to hold the needle and his teeth.

Nevertheless he continued trying for several minutes until he felt a shadow on him.

"Here, let me do it for you." She requested of him, taking the needle and thread regardless of what he would have said.

It was done in a flash and she handed it back to him.

He took the thread, but 'forgot' to say thanks.

"What is it?" She asked him, not surprisingly sounding un-offended.

"I just don't like it when I have to depend on someone else to get things done for me." He admitted, though using a normal tone as well.

Diva shrugged and then walked back over to her little bath stool.

Reeve exhaled and then stuck his left arm straight up into the air, choosing where he would put the stitches.

It took only a few moments, seven should be enough.

It would be somewhat painful, since the cut wasn't severe enough to put him into shock, then again, it wouldn't be any more painful than jumping out of a window that was three stories off the ground and landing on the said ground below.

He placed the needle at the first place to go through, and then poked it through, the pain made him scowl.

He repeated the process, using the mirror to help him, all the while not so much as grunting.

Reeve finished, and before he could even think about how to cut the thread he saw the girl's head there, biting it off.

Diva looked up at him, smiling.

With a light sigh he smiled and thanked her.

She stood up and kissed him on the cheek, an unexpected token of affection, but better than if she'd tackled him to the floor.

Then she once again walked back to her bath stool and sat down.

Reeve opened the bottle of antiseptic and emptied a small amount of it over his stitched wounds. It didn't really hurt that much at all, but the bubbling that it did proved there had probably been some sort of bacteria in it.

The next one was on his side, scraping along the ribs.

Reeve once again picked up the tweezers, and shifted position to see where the glass was once he found it, he grabbed it with the tweezers…

"… there. That's all of them I think." He spoke, glad he'd finished. Though he generally tried to be as patient as possible pulling nine pieces of glass out of one's underarm, side, chest, leg and forearm wasn't exactly a pleasant experience.

"All things considered though, I got off very easily. That there aren't any fractures or breaks is nothing short of a movie miracle." He thought.

"Reeve, do you have any wounds on your back?" A whimsical voice asked him.

"…no. Why do you as-"

He instantly felt arms snake around him, avoiding the stitches on his side and underarm, and hug him tightly, the girl nuzzling into his back from behind.

Despite the fact he'd jumped out of the window less than an hour ago to get away from her he felt himself blush at the increasing acts of affection.

It could only be hoped, though it was something he hated to do, that this would be as far as it would go. He didn't want a repeat of what had happened in here earlier.

It didn't even feel like the same girl, however. So that made it slightly easier.

Though she'd essentially jumped on his back now she was about as assertive and aggressive as a child clinging to a pillow during a thunderstorm.

"Well, maybe not _that _assertive." He thought while putting the things away.

"So, what do you want to do now?" She asked, Reeve closing the cabinet with the girl still affixed to his back despite being held in mid-air.

"Well, I was thinking about lying down."

"Together?" She asked into his back, asking the question he'd been hoping she wouldn't bring up.

"_Lying down _together wouldn't bother me at all. But that would be it."

Her hands came away and the girl let herself slide to the floor, her hands now resting on his back.

"I'm sorry, Reeve." He heard her respond, genuinely upset.

Such an empathic, sad response from her was enough to make his eyes go wide and for him to turn around, but she was gone.

He sighed, wondering how the two of them would ever be able to get her to act "normally" before pulling down on the light-switch and exiting the bathroom.

Diva lay on the bed already, facing away from him and curled up.

He smiled at her while walking over to the bed, making sure to take his shoes and socks off before getting on it himself.

It occurred to him to check her feet as well, but he barely glanced at them before realizing her shoes were nowhere to be seen.

"Well, that leaves out toilet-training and cleaning her up when she goes outside playing in the mud, Hopefully she won't get any cotton-candy stuck in her hair either." He thought, lying down with his back on the bed,

It would be unwise to sleep on his left side for many nights, though that kept him from being able to be right next to her.

In the end though, it was probably for the best. There was no telling whether or not she would have a flood of memories at any given time and then decide that he no longer needed his clothes. It would most likely be that simple for her.

Not that there was anything necessarily _wrong _with that point of view. But despite the fact he didn't need his clothes in order to survive he still _preferred_ to have them on.

"And I think this desensitization isn't something that could be solved just by injecting puppies into the equation." He continued to ponder in his head.

Diva turned over on the bed, looking at him now.

Reeve looked back at her, though his body itself didn't move.

One of her hands hesitantly crept out and touched his left hand, holding it.

He had no idea why, but it felt weird having her hand there, as if it were too soft.

Reeve ignored that and closed his eyes, glad that the remainder of this night would hopefully be more peaceful than it had been so far.


	18. Real you

_**Your awake persona evaporates when you dream.**_

_**The way you act in the "real" world is full of conditioning, motivations, fears, morals, rules, limitations… all of these things and more affect your life when you are awake.**_

**_Yet, when you _sleep _most of these things disappear into the air, not to return until you awaken._**

_**Because of this, you may actually be acting more honestly like yourself in the "imaginary world" than the "real" one.**_

* * *

An alarm went off.

His hand instinctively reached for the alarm clock, only to realize that it was not there.

It took about a second for him to realize that there never _had _been; it was his _internal _clock, one he couldn't possibly turn off.

As his consciousness returned to him Reeve's left hand tightened, feeling nothing within it.

When he looked to his left, Diva was no longer there.

Reeve almost instantly sprang up, but remembered his stitches, so instead slowly rose his back off the bed, using his head to look around since twisting his torso would put pressure on the stitches beneath his arm.

Yet even though he was able to look at almost all of the room he still didn't see her.

He didn't see her running around trying to find someplace to hide or anything like that, all that moved were the drapes.

His expression narrowed as Reeve walked over to one of his closets and pulled a random dark-purple shirt off of its hanger, sliding it on and buttoning it up as he walked over to the window which he'd left uncovered last night, pulling the drapes away slowly, since it was much brighter outside where the sun could reach the garden than _inside _where he only had the one window.

As his pupils dilated to the abundance of the clear sky and beaming sun outside, he noticed something moving about down in the garden.

His eyes began to fix on it as he heard something slowly let out into the air.

Within a moment, he heard the same beautiful singing he'd heard last night, once again getting lost in the song and almost falling unconscious and, as a result, out the _window _as a response.

This time she sang her whole song and felt the tsunamis rise and fall in his mind as before, though like all other things that he enjoyed, it seemed to over in an instant, despite the fact the song must have been around five minutes long.

His heart was beating unnaturally fast, the only reason he could think of it doing so being that the song really got to him. Though it was difficult to tell whether he loved it or hated it.

Though the song itself was beautiful, it sounded very sad, and the fact that she could sing it so well meant her heart was in it. Which only attested to her _own _sadness.

Suddenly Diva spun around and looked up at him, smiling.

Reeve was unsure what was faster than a millisecond, but for whatever period of time that was he had thought that her eyes would once again be glistening blue, looking like those of an entranced predator.

But they were normal, and her smile, though more "flamboyant" if that was the correct word, looked normal.

"Reeve!" She shouted excitedly, running towards his window and jumping up through the air.

He backed away so that they didn't crash into each other but regardless she landed in a spot next to where he used to be anyway.

"I've been waiting for you to wake up!" She spoke as if someone had just given her a huge present.

"Sorry if I kept you waiting, if I'd known you would be up I would have woken up sooner.

She shook her head and then grabbed his "good" arm.

"Let's 'hang out' with Nathan again today!" She told him enthusiastically, practically jumping up and down.

"Heh, Nathan may have other things to do." He told her as they walked over to the bed.

"Uh-uh! I already talked to him today! He's not doing anything at all!"

Reeve looked down at her with a puzzled look.

"You talked to him? What to do you mean?"

"I took your mini-phone out of your pocket while you were asleep and then I went outside and talked to him. I told him I beat you up and then stole your phone." He explained, on the verge of giggling again.

"That's not too far from the truth." He thought while taking the phone back from her now-offering hand.

"So, how about it?" She asked him eagerly.

"I don't think it's a good idea."

She frowned and departed from him, sitting on the bed.

"Awwww! Why _not_?"

"He's my _friend_, Diva. What do you think will be the first thing he says when he sees me protecting certain parts of my body like I'd, say, gotten glass in them?"

She looked up at him, feigning dumbness for a moment.

"'Do you have ants in your pants?'" She guessed before unleashing a torrent of giggles on him.

He stood there with a straight face.

"He's going to ask me what happened, and if I tell him it happened as a result of someone else he'll ask who the hell attacked his best friend."

Diva stopped giggling and her smiling lessened.

"Oh… no, not _Nathan_."

"You talk as if you know anything _about _him."

Her smile disappeared and her eyes gazed at him as if he'd just stabbed her through the heart. Though likely _that _wouldn't have bothered her as much as what he'd just said.

"Reeve?"

"I'm sorry." He apologized, though there was still a rough air to his voice.

"It's just that Nathan and I have been friends for such a long time, if someone says they know what he would do it bothers me."

She looked away from him, as if ashamed.

"Look, I really am sorry, I didn't mean to-"

It didn't matter. Her eyes looked like he'd promised to kill her.

His own gaze broke and he sat down on the bed, first putting a hand on her shoulder, and then pulling her into a hug which she melted into.

She couldn't even cry, which bothered him and made him feel guilty that much more.

Reeve tightened the hug and felt something slip, a wet feeling enveloping his chest.

Nevertheless he held her to him, pushing his head against hers.

"I'm sorry." He apologized again, his voice sounding as genuine as he felt this time.

Diva became aware of it, and of the wet feeling that no doubt was touching _her _chest as _well _now.

"Reeve, you're bleeding."

"I know." He spoke calmly, not loosening the embrace.

"It's okay-"

"No. It's _not_. I- I didn't want to respond that way to you. It was…"

She waited for him.

"It was a weakness of the heart I suppose." He admitted.

Suddenly she sniffed, as if holding back the tears she couldn't cry, and separated from him.

"No, you couldn't be anymore wrong, Reeve."

She stared into his eyes again, her blue spheres locking with his red and violet ones.

"It was a _strength _of your heart."

His eyes widened, and she got off the bed.

"I already tied you up another needle. I got bored earlier." She spoke, her voice not yet "smiling" again.

"I'm going to go back down into the garden… being around you makes me feel… strange."

Reeve looked straight down at the ground, feeling the blood running down his stomach.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know that."

She shook her head while walking over to the drapes.

"Silly, you don't have anything to be sorry about. I'm just not used to feeling this way when I remember parts of how I used to be. I… I'll be back in a minute."

Then Diva moved through the drapes and he heard her land softly on the ground below.

He sighed, thinking on how she could change her moods so quickly and drastically.

But his shirt was starting to get sticky and he supposed it was time to go close the wound up again, though with more stitches this time.

* * *

"Diva?" He asked the room, stepping out into it.

She had come in to bite the thread after he'd stitched himself up again, but hadn't said anything and immediately left.

Yet the girl was nowhere to be found Reeve looked around again, and saw that the door to his room was open.

Unsure of what was going on but suspecting she might be hiding, he walked out through the doorway, closing it behind him.

Reeve walked down the hall until he came to the corner and then turned right, immediately seeing her over by the staircase, looking down patiently at the main doors to the mansion.

Curious, Reeve decided to walk over to her and see what she was looking at.

Though as he made his way across the floor, his steps echoing throughout the gigantic hall, he didn't see anything wrong or special about the first floor, or the doors down there either.

But just as he was about to ask her what she was doing he heard the doorbell ring and glanced down at the door.

She smiled at him and he looked at her again before going down the stairs and heading to the door.

Yet he wasn't quick enough to make it there before "YMCA" began to play out on the door through knocks.

Reeve sighed and looked over his shoulder, seeing the girl standing now, but perfectly still.

He looked away again, at the door, and suspected that she was most likely making the letters up with her body whenever he wasn't looking at her.

Eventually the young man twisted the doorknob and let his annoying best friend in, who essentially flew past him into the hall.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?!" Reeve asked him, closing the door before Nathan could embarrass him further.

"She said you'd probably get me to try and leave, so I decided to jump in before you could try."

Diva giggled up on the "balcony" of the second floor as Reeve sighed and Nathan laughed with her.

"Fine, I guess we're doing something today. But don't you have anything better to do at eight o'clock in the morning?" He asked, Nathan reeling around to look at him.

"Ha, you're like a human clock, you know that? Besides, there aren't enough hot girls in the _world _to keep me from hanging out with my little brother."

Reeve growled.

"Don't say that, _either _of those things." He commanded Nathan, causing both him and Diva to laugh once again.

"Alright, then. But what will we do today?"

Nathan shrugged.

"Talk about what's going on, have breakfast, play games, talk about school… the like."

Reeve glanced up at Diva, who was looking down at him.

That was right, he still didn't have a story for her "life".

"I suppose."

His friend nodded and shooed him off to his bedroom.

"Then go get your socks and shoes. Unless you want to wear flip-flops." He joked.

Reeve scowled, but headed up the stairs anyway.

Diva immediately followed after him, though she probably would have even if _she _didn't need to get shoes as _well_.

Though it was good that they would be able to talk about the life that they would make up for Nathan so that it didn't seem as if she was part of a glowing eyes, super powered, vampire-family.

Then again, who knew? Nathan might not care if he _did _know that truth.

One way or another he would leave out the part where the holes in his neck, which Nathan luckily hadn't discovered yet, had come from her. And most likely he would notice the difference in the way Reeve walked to avoid putting too much strain on any of the wounds soon enough.

"Reeve, this school that you go to, can I go to?" She asked him as they walked through the hall.

He frowned in thought, pondering the idea.

"I'm not sure. It's much more complicated than simply showing up in the room with me. And since you were born more than a hundred years ago I doubt they would have any record of you."

She frowned as well, though it was obviously in plain old disappointment.

"But Reeve, I want to be with _you_. I don't want to wait in your room all day for you to come back and see me."

"I know. I'll see if I can arrange for something. Though for now let's just get our shoes and things and go have some fun.

Her smile came back and she ran past him to his room.

Reeve smiled after her, thinking in the back of his head how he would possibly be able to get her into his high school.


	19. Bound in blood

_**True bonds can't be broken.**_

_**Promises can be broken, friendships can be betrayed, but a true bonding of two people's souls can withstand whatever early problems the duo must endure.**_

_**For those lucky enough to find this bond in another person, they truly are able to know that there is another person in the world who would live and die for them.**_

_**Dreams are no more of a hindrance to this than anything else. **_

_**In **_**fact**_**, sometimes when nothing else matters to you these bonds that you have with another can be more important than your own life.**_

* * *

"Heh."

"Be quiet."

"Heheh."

"Shut up."

"Hahahahaha! She was telling the _truth_! She _did _kick your ass!" Nathan laughed at him, all of them in the bottom foyer.

"Shut up!" Reeve yelled at him again angrily, only causing his friend to laugh harder.

"You got beat up by a _girl_!" He laughed even harder, his eyes unable to stay open any longer.

Diva, despite all of Nathan's laughing, was smiling like normal and acted normally.

That was until she suddenly appeared right behind his friend, only a few inches away.

"Oh? What's wrong with getting beaten up by _girls_? She questioned him, surprising the young man out of his laughing.

"Woah, hey! How'd you get back _there_?!" He asked while turning about, still smiling.

"_That's _how she did it. She's a very cheap fighter." He spoke, not completely lying.

Her gaze shifted to him.

"That's not very nice, Reeve."

"It's _true _though, isn't it?" He asked her, a small grin on his face.

Their eyes "fought" for a few moments, as if having a silent, humored war with each other.

"Perhaps." Was all she said after the "war" was over.

"Well, guess they're just lover quarrels." Nathan joked once again, though he still drew an appreciative look from Diva.

"You could say that."

For some reason they all stood there in silence for a minute or so, and while it wasn't an _uncomfortable _silence there was still a significance to it.

Then Nathan asked Reeve if he had his keys.

He nodded and pulled them out just for good measure.

"All right, then. Where'll we go today?" He asked both of them.

Though Diva stared at Reeve, making it obvious that he was the one who had to come up with the answer.

"IHOP." He spoke with a shrug, speaking out the first breakfast-themed restaurant that came into his mind.

"Sounds good to me." Nathan said, looking at Diva who shrugged as well.

"Shotgu-"

"You're sitting in the back again, Nathan." Reeve told him on the way out.

His friend scowled.

"_I'm_ cuter." He remarked.

"No." Both Reeve and Diva once again corrected him, calling back the giggling and laughing from before.

"That isn't fair, you're just saying that 'cause she's a girl." He spoke through a laugh.

"Well, unless _you _want to give me a big kiss that's the way it's staying." Reeve spoke sarcastically.

"Oh?" He asked, causing Reeve's expression to become serious once again.

"No." He told him as Nathan began to advance on him.

Diva cheered him on, for reasons he was aware of but wished he wasn't, and Reeve broke away from the entrance near the door to escape from his friend.

They ran all over the hall, circling around Diva at least six or seven times.

But eventually, due to Reeve having to take care moving around so much due to his injuries, Nathan caught him.

It was fortunate, in a way, though, that instead of a kiss Nathan socked him in the arm, laughing out triumphantly.

"Haha! You're getting _slow _brother!" He declared.

Reeve scowled, though he was holding one of his _serious _wounds instead of where Nathan had punched him in the arm.

Unfortunately, Nathan noticed, and his humored expression disappeared for a moment.

"Shit." Reeve thought, thinking his friend was going to make something of the wound right here.

But then he returned to normal.

"Alright, we going or not?"

A slight confusion passed through Reeve's eyes before they all headed out the door.

* * *

The style of the restaurant was about normal, kind of homey perhaps you could say.

Either way, it didn't really matter to any of them since Nathan was hungry, Diva was using up about a thousand quarters to get a stuffed animal out of a machine and Reeve… well, he just didn't care.

Not surprisingly, there was at least a five-minute wait. It _was _after all, breakfast time, the most busy point in IHOP's day.

As they waited for their "turn" to come, however, Reeve was almost pushed in the direction of the bathroom.

"Hey, we'll be right back, we've got, uh, guy problems to talk about." He told Diva, who may or may not have noticed what he said at all.

Then he was getting pushed in the direction of the bathrooms.

Nathan opened the door to the boy's bathroom and shoved Reeve through it.

Though he regained his footing soon, Reeve still didn't move, instead scowling at Nathan.

"What the hell are you doing?" He demanded, yet the blond-haired man ignored him, kicking open the stall doors to see if anyone was in there.

When he saw there wasn't he went back over to the door and shut it, locking it as well before turning around to face him.

"How did it happen?" He asked, leaning back against the door, Reeve on the other side of the room, against the wall.

"What are you talking about?" Reeve asked his friend while looking away as if this were a random thing that he was bored with and had no interest in.

"Don't give me that. What happened to you and _how _did it happen?" He questioned again, but more sternly.

Reeve sighed and looked away more.

"I fell out of my window. There, do you feel better?"

Nathan's face turned into a snarl, the blonde hair man walking quicker than he'd ever seen _anyone _walk in his whole _life_.

When the two were next to each other again, he grabbed Reeve by the collar pulling against it, though Reeve didn't even allow one of his feet to budge.

"Look, I may be nice, but I'm _not _stupid. We've been friends since kindergarten. We know each other so well when I spend the night we sleep in the same bed and don't even worry about if the other guy's gay or not. It's like we're still kids. So you're going to stand there and tell me 'I fell out my window' when we both know you would never just 'fall out' of _anything_? I'm not buying it."

Reeve continued to ignore him, only to have his collar pulled on tighter.

"And what the hell is _this_?! You've got two _holes _in your neck! Who did this to you? I haven't met another guy _alive _that could do that to you and get away with it."

He sighed.

"Nathan…"

The grip on his collar loosened, and his friend's fast lost some of it's intensity.

"This doesn't have anything to do with you."

The world was completely silent for a moment, and then a fist slammed into his cheek, smashing him into the wall.

"What are you talking about?! My best friend's got holes in him, at least a few major cuts on him and I can smell _blood _on his _shirt_ and you're going to tell me it's none of my business?! Don't you forget, Reeve, I'm not one of your random strangers for you to analyze and break down!"

Nathan pulled down his t-shirt's collar to show a small scar near the center of his chest.

A second later, with absolutely no intention of it, Reeve did the same, scowling when he realized he'd done so and letting go of his own shirt. His friend doing the same.

"When we were still little kids we cut ourselves and put the blood in our hands, then we placed our hands over the others heart. Not some stupid emo crap. We didn't see it in a movie, read it in a book or hear about it in a song. We just wanted to show our connection to each other, as if we were brothers. And no matter how much you start to hate people in general, Reeve, you can't get rid of that connection, not even if you _wanted _to."

He looked away again, though it was in shame rather than in irritation.

"If someone tried to kill you _I will_ kill _them_. Even if I have to tear their throat out with my teeth and get executed for doing it. So tell me what's going on, Reeve. I promise I won't tell anyone else."

Reeve looked back at Nathan, looking into his eyes.

They held a resolve in them, a resolve that would commit the owner to whatever they thought needed to be done. Yet behind that, he saw a much stronger feeling of caring.

"Nathan, I can't really explain it. I don't know what happened _myself_. But it shouldn't happen again."

His best friend looked down at the ground, as if he'd been defeated.

"I can't believe; after all these years that we've been best friends I can't believe you won't tell me what happened to you. Or _why _you won't tell me."

Reeve walked forward, putting a hand on Nathan's shoulder.

"It's not that I don't want to tell you, but I don't know what will happen if I _do_. I'm not sure… what'll happen to you if I do."

Nathan sighed, shaking his head.

"I don't care, Reeve. I'd rather be bloody and dying and be trying to help you than sleeping in my bed at home acting as if there's nothing wrong. But if that's why you won't tell me, I guess I can put up with not knowing for just a bit longer."

"Thank you Nathan."

His friend looked back up at him, grinning again.

"Don't thank me. If I run out of patience and you _still _won't tell me I'll beat your ass _myself_."

Reeve's mouth reflected the grin.

"You can _try_."

The moment temporarily forgotten, the two blood-brothers left the bathroom and walked out to the serving area, just in time to hear their names called as the next one's to go.


	20. Strangers

_**Unknown people represent a sort of paradox to the consciousness.**_

_**Though we know about humans, seeing someone, a stranger, can sometimes be uncomfortable, as you have no idea who they are or what they are like.**_

_**At the same time, it can also be a curious thing that makes you interested in getting to know new people.**_

_**Sometimes, however, it can be that you are curious to know who the person is when, upon discovering who they really are, wished you'd never so much as thought about.**_

_**Beware of strangers.**_

The breakfast had, for the most part, been uneventful. Nathan had eaten all of his food, but didn't ask for seconds. Which showed he was still "recovering" from their talk before.

Reeve had eaten what he had ordered as well; a side order of bacon. Meanwhile Diva had gotten the kid pancake with the face on it because she thought it looked funny and then giggled a bit once she got it before taking a single bite out of it and saying she was full.

They paid for the food and then left, Reeve driving them home.

This time however, Nathan cam in with them and hung out.

"Hey, I think I hear the play station 3 calling us." Nathan remarked, holding a hand up to his ear.

Diva giggled, something she seemed to do more than _breath_, and Reeve closed the door behind them.

Nathan had apparently gotten over what they were talking about before. Either that or he was being considerate of Diva even though she probably wouldn't mind if they'd busted out into a spontaneous brawl.

"What's a 'play station'?" Diva asked no one in particular.

Nathan looked between her and Reeve, as if wondering if she actually meant what she was saying.

Reeve didn't really have any explanation for that, so Nathan just shrugged it off.

"It's a videogame system. You play games on it. Reeve's got every system back to the Atari. I think we sat in front of the TV playing pacman for like ten hours when we were younger."

She asked what 'pacman' was next, but they decided to just show her what the systems and things were instead of explaining each one individually.

The door opposite the entrance led to the spacious game room, though it wasn't just for videogames; pool. Poker and blackjack tables, a roulette wheel and even a small _bowling alley _occupied the room.

All of the systems had been linked with adapters that allowed them to be playable whenever you put a game inside and turned the power on, all of which were organized in a TV stand that housed the eighty-inch TV.

A comfortable sectional surrounded the TV stand but for a few feet of space to the left and right, though Nathan just jumped over the couch and landed on it as if that were the only way there.

"Don't hesitate to make yourself at home, Reeve told him. He'd said the same exact thing probably a hundred times before at _least_.

"Thanks, I won't." Nathan responded lightly, reclining the part of the couch he was sitting on and observing the sight in front of him.

Diva simply went around the couch and sat next to Nathan, observing the TV and systems as well.

As Reeve began to walk around the couch, he heard the doorbell ring.

"I'll be right back, pick whatever game you want, Nathan." He said while walking back towards the door.

"Gotcha. Not going to be a problem."

"Reeve…" Diva spoke to him, though she didn't sound worried or impatient by her tone.

"Don't worry, it shouldn't take long. It's probably just some kind of delivery man or something. My parents buy antiques and things online all the time." He told her calmly, seeming to satisfy her, before leaving the room.

Though to be honest, more often than less his parents called him or sent him a text message or e-mail to tell him something was coming to the house, so he could be awake or be there since many of them required that you sign upon delivery.

Reeve gave a mental shrug, guessing it wouldn't matter whether they had sent him notification beforehand or not. Though appearances could be deceiving he was certainly _not _a post office.

He reached the door, noticing that the bell hadn't rung again.

To be ridiculously anal and technical about it, about ninety-three-percent of the time delivery men showed up they rang the doorbell more than once.

It was possible this was just the other seven percent of the time but maybe _not_.

Reeve turned the doorknob and pulled the large door inward slightly, seeing that it _wasn't _a delivery man, but instead a blond man in black suit, white shirt, and black tie. Like the kind a "secret agent" would wear but more realistically modest.

He looked like a soldier, from his eyes.

"Hello, I'm sorry to bother you. I'm with the FBI. There is a dangerous criminal in the area I received reports that they may be in this neighborhood _specifically_, perhaps even hiding in someone's house."

Reeve's face didn't change at all, and he didn't think his _eyes _gave way to any suspicion either

"Would you mind showing me your id? For legitimacy reasons." Reeve stated in a solemn, unassuming tone, so as not to irritate the man if he _did_ turn to be an FBI agent.,

The blond-haired "soldier" didn't look offended at the request either, making it all the more evident that he was a professional. A professional _what_ was what Reeve was trying to discern.

He reached into his side pocket and pulled out a small black leather "case", flipping it open to reveal what looked to be a legitimate ID within.

"David Trapp." Was apparently the agent's name.

Though he knew about many things, Reeve wasn't exactly an expert on expert on governmental id's.

"So, do you have any information on the appearance of this dangerous person?" Reeve asked, the man putting the ID away.

"The person is actually quite young, around your age. It is a female with dark hair, pale skin, and blue eyes. She is also very… childish."

Reeve actually gave a quick breath of a laugh.

"That was an impressive forgery, Mr. Trapp. Cute nickname too. Did you come up with that on your own?"

It was actually a tad bit surprising that the man's facial expression didn't change at all upon realizing he'd been discovered.

"You are in something much older and deeper than you can imagine." He spoke in a less polite and more stern tone.

"I disagree, at the very least that it's beyond my imagination. I got a brief synopsis from the 'LED assassin'. Hundreds of years old, killed people, some sort of vampire, glowing blue eyes… oh, and she has a _lovely _singing voice." He remarked snidely.

"If you know all of that then why do you protect her?" The man responded, seeming to have ignored the last thing mentioned.

"Because I don't care about any of those 'negative' things; she's the best-looking hundred-plus girl I've ever seen, she didn't kill anyone _I _care about or like, I like glowing blue eyes more than red ones, and… well… I'll just wear a scarf."

_Those _remarks seemed to upset him.

"Listen to me, you little punk-"

"Hey, Reeve, everything okay out here?" He heard Nathan asking from the doorway to the game room.

"Yeah, it's fine Nathan." Reeve told his friend, not looking back at him in suspicion the other man might simply pull out a gun and shoot him in the head while he had his back turned.

"My apologies for the attitude, but my decision stands. I'm not going to just hand her over to you. If you'd like to discover why then feel free to set up bugs or spy cameras or whatever else you'd like. But don't think for a moment that you're going to be able to buy a ninja suit online and just sneak into my house and take her."

They stared each other for a minute before "David" simply turned away and walked down the path that led to the door.

Reeve closed the door normally before turning around, seeing that Nathan had come halfway across the room.

"Who was that? You were treating him like he a Jehovah's witness." His friend remarked with straight face despite it's joking nature.

He contemplated telling Nathan about it, but decided that telling about their half of the story wouldn't be the right place to start him off."

"No, he wasn't. I guess there's a pedophile in the area and it was a warning for all minors."

Nathan chuckled.

"No way."

Reeve walked over to and past him.

"_You're _the one who said you were so _cute _right? Looks like you're going to be at the top of the list."

"I don't care, I'll beat his ass."

Reeve stopped dead in his tracks, facing away from Nathan.

He had to hold himself back from laughing.

"Okay, that didn't come out right." Nathan explained.

"I'm glad to hear that. Though it would explain why you play sports so much. A fan of the showers are you?"

Nathan turned around and charged after him, chasing Reeve back into the game room and completely out of any worried thoughts he might have had.


	21. Truth

_**What is the truth?**_

_**Is it good?**_

_**Is it bad?**_

_**Or is it neither?**_

_**Perhaps it is so true, such an absolute, universal truth, it disregards human morals.**_

_**Truth may be full, or maybe it is empty.**_

_**However, perhaps the most significant question is, can a person be content with nothing but truth in their lives?**_

* * *

"So, how 'bout I stay over tonight?" Nathan asked him as the two killed people in a game together.

Reeve glanced at his friend for a second, almost getting shot in the face.

"We have _school _tomorrow, Nathan."

A shrug.

"Then we'll just get up early and head out. I can drive when I'm tired you know. A few push-ups and I'll be good to go."

Nathan glanced again, though this time over at Diva.

She had been watching them play games for a few hours now and though she had somehow managed to completely crush both of their scores in pacman the girl had taken little interest in playing the more recent games, saying they weren't cute enough.

On a related matter, at one point when they'd had to fight I gigantic spider with drool dripping from its mouth and foot long fangs she'd actually gone and pet the TV.

"So, what school do you go to?" He asked Diva.

She looked at Reeve and then to him in a "swooping" gaze.

"I do things here. Reeve teaches me them."

A smirk made its way onto Nathan's mouth and Reeve bashed his character in the game with the stock of a rifle.

"Don't. Say. Anything." He told his friend who, expectedly, chuckled.

"You thought it, not me. So are you her tutor then or something? You never told me about that."

Reeve shrugged.

"I just took her up. I hadn't even met her before Friday. Though it ended up being more than just a school thing."

Diva slid her way across the couch and nuzzled against Reeve's shoulder.

"Yeah, I noticed that she had your phone and called me in the morning, and she must've been here when she did that…"

Both Reeve and Diva looked at him, though she was smiling and he was frowning.

"What exactly are you implying?"

Nathan shot the last guy in the head and they'd beaten the level.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." He spoke with a grin, setting his controller down on the couch.

Reeve turned the console off with his controller and set it down as well.

"She's been spending the night since Friday." He admitted.

"I thought so. That's one hell of a relationship you've got there; three days and you're already sleeping together."

"No, not like-"

"Reeve is a little shy though. He's like a little boy almost."

He growled as Nathan laughed with renewed intensity.

"He _must _have a thing for you. Not only does he never act shy or anything unconfident, but if someone usually pissed him off enough to make him growl he'd throw them out a window."

Diva giggled, probably thinking about how he'd _jumped _out the window when he'd been upset with her instead of trying to throw _her _out.

"But I'm a _lady_. I'm sure Reeve would be more gentle."

Nathan chuckled some more, leaning back in the couch.

"Not really. A girl hit him with a lacrosse stick one time since he'd hurt her friend's feelings, so he hit her in the _face _with _his_. He was kind of an asshole that day. I guess chivalry's dead."

"Chivalry is, among other things, the belief that females are weak and need to be protected. I was _not _an asshole that day, and if she hits _me_, I hit her back. It's simply cause and effect."

Suddenly Reeve felt a pain in his arm, and looked down, seeing Diva had chomped on it.

"Does that mean you'll bite _me _now, Reeve?" She asked with a grin.

"If he won't _I _will." Nathan remarked with his own grin.

Reeve scowled and slapped him with the back of his hand.

"Ow! You son of a-"

Diva reached over Reeve and bitch-slapped Nathan off the couch.

"Oof!"

"Keep those thoughts to yourself Natalie." She told him before giggling at the name she'd given him.

Reeve laughed harder than he usually did, since it involved making fun of Nathan, who sprung up from the floor.

"Shut up- uh…read…rove…road kill… just shut up." He told Reeve after discovering that it was harder to name him something stupid than he'd thought.

"Yes, not so easy, is it?" Reeve asked him, stretching his legs out and preparing to get off the couch.

"Your _face _isn't easy; to _look _at. Because it's _ugly_." He retorted a few moments before Diva tackled Reeve down onto the couch hard enough to make it recline and kissed him for almost half a minute before letting off and looking over her shoulder.

"I like it fine." She spoke with something between a grin, a smile, and a smirk.

"Ulk, get off me." Reeve told her, trying to push the girl off in vain.

"Looks like you're a genuine boy-toy now, Reeve. Haha. She might as well get you a leash."

Diva's head popped up, as if considering it, but then she shook it, ruffling Reeve's hair.

"No, my Reeve is too clever. He would figure a way out of it. Maybe a collar though."

Reeve ran out of patience and told her to get off him again, though this time making it evident that he genuinely meant it.

Once again Diva looked down at him, looking interested in what had caused him to lose patience with the joke.

"What is it?" She asked him.

He didn't look at her.

"Just get off of me, will you?"

Her head tilted, but Diva did so, getting of the couch as well.

Reeve "closed" the reclining part of the couch and then stood up, walking around it.

Just as Diva was about to go after him Nathan spoke up.

"Don't take it personally. He hates it whenever anyone calls him theirs or says he's 'mine'." He explained as Reeve left the room.

"Why?"

"He hates being bound up in anything. That's why he doesn't really do sports; because if he gets tired of doing football or basketball or whatever he doesn't want to have an obligation to keep doing it. Pretty much all there is to it for him."

"Reeve wants to be free." She spoke.

* * *

He walked out through the garden, noting that it would be necessary to clean up the glass before his parents came back next time so that they either wouldn't notice the window's absence as quickly or wouldn't be as much of a bother once they _did_ discover it.

After all it was only money. And they had about as much of that to spare as the free air that the breathed around them.

"Money. Debts. Fortunes. What wastes of time; a bunch of pieces of paper or data in a database that people have killed over simply to possess. It's unfortunate that everything in a human's world has been built around it." He thought to himself while walking amongst the flowers.

"Then again, all of humanity is selfish anyway. None of us are exceptions. Even when we do something thinking it's because we want to make others happy it's simply to satisfy the pain we feel at them _not _being happy." He reflected further.

Sometimes it was unfortunate knowing the truth behind why humans did things. It was easy to be overly optimistic and hope that people were 'good' and could be _equally _easy to just call them 'bad'. But once you looked at it with absolutely no bias, something that was extremely difficult to truly do, you could see that there was no right or wrong, there was simply a mass of opinions out of which no absolute truth could really be discerned.

Whatsmore, it had bored him for several years know; knowing the way things worked above just the human level. Those questions some occasionally pondered while others spent their whole lives reflecting on it, he'd decided within seventeen years.

No questions. Nothing interesting. Nothing to truly work for. No real feeling. Just… existence. That was what his multi-talented, rich, handsome, athletic, intelligent, "perfect" life was.

Then the door to the garden opened and he turned around, seeing Nathan and Diva standing in the doorway.

His logic disappeared and he walked towards them, feeling better for some reason.


	22. Family

_**Family.**_

_**Everyone has their own definition of it.**_

_**For some it is simply those who share your bloodline.**_

_**For others it is those that you live with.**_

_**While still **_**others**_** feel that it is the people who are closest to you.**_

_**The legal definition corresponds to the first one, and in general, it is that definition that has become most popular, putting a degree of pressure on people to feel that way.**_

_**However, there are people who would feel nothing as their blood relatives died in front of them, and yet would give their lives for a "mere friend".**_

_**These people choose who to give their hearts to. And give to those select few everything that they are to the point that they may even live for them.**_

_**To live for someone that you would die for. Perhaps **_**that **_**is family.**_

* * *

"How come _I_ have to sleep on the floor?"

"Because I'd rather have _her _sleeping next to me than _you_." Reeve remarked, the statement shadowing what he'd said multiple times before.

"_I'm _cuter." Nathan remarked.

"Nope." Reeve and Diva responded in unison for probably the third or fourth time now, causing everyone to smile in amusement.

"That's fine. Give me a pillow and a blanket and I could sleep on mount _Everest_." Nathan spoke as he lay down on the floor near the bed, placing the pillow underneath his head and covering his legs with the blanket.

"I don't want to sleep _anywhere _without _Reeve_." Diva responded affectionately, cuddling against him and making him feel a tad bit uncomfortable.

"Hey, hey. Keep it within the PG's up there you two." Nathan teased.

Reeve grumbled something before closing his eyes, resting but not feeling all that tired.

Despite the fact he was still recovering from his wounds, Reeve still didn't feel tired. Which is something most _do _feel when they have multiple lacerations about their body and are awake at eleven at night.

Perhaps it was just because the only two people he cared about were with him now, and would be with him as he slept.

Prior to the past few days, the only time he'd enjoyed himself was when he was around Nathan, alone.

When they were in a public place the noise, the people… the human _world _weighed down on him as if he were the manifestation of Atlas; holding it up on his shoulders.

It was full of ridiculous idiocies.

"And I told him, who do you think you are? You can't talk to me like that." Yes they can.

"It's all your fault! If we'd gotten here earlier we could have gotten a spot!" It isn't just their fault.

"You're wrong. Hurting people is evil." It is an act, to which many respond with unhappy feelings. That does not make it "evil".

Hundreds, perhaps _thousands _of these things occurred each day. And though the common human response to things you hate and yet know you can't change is to ignore them to Reeve it had always felt like ignoring the truth _himself_.

And it followed him regardless of where he was; school, the mall, TV at home, books, music, ideologies, philosophies, religions, politics, discrimination… all of these things assaulted his constantly aware consciousness day after day, week after week, month after month and year after _year_.

Then Nathan and he shut the door of the mansion, the mansion which _they _occupied more than his _parents_. And the world's "noise" went quiet.

Everything he heard was like a sweet song to his ears. All of the sights he saw seemed to retain their color. And the _world_ seemed to have _meaning _then.

This was how he felt whenever Nathan and he would spend time together, and he felt just like he had when they were in kindergarten.

Money, ideologies, politics, the general people… none of these things mattered when these two childhood friends were alone together, making the world temporarily an enjoyable place for himself to live.

It didn't matter to them if it was in the _mansion _or in filthy rotten public bathroom in the inner _city_. The two friends enjoyed each other's company more than most people could _imagine_.

And now there was _another _person who seemed to add substance to his life.

She was someone who, despite undoubtedly having living for quite a while and doing many things, retained some sort of purity somewhere in herself.

Reeve had no idea where that purity lie, but he knew that there were _very _few people in the world who had that and most likely _none _who had been through what she had and _still _retained it.

Though perhaps, more than the fact that she _had _that purity, the thing that Reeve liked most about her was that when he was around he it felt like _he _might have some purity left within him as _well_.

It was doubtful, but hope and its synonyms were the most addictive things in the human mind.

His free, un-cuddled hand came up to cover his eyelids, but soon he felt a soft hand pull it away and felt Diva move nearby him, kissing his eyelids.

"Don't start with the demon-eye thoughts again." She spoke to him with a soft smile.

He opened his eyes and gazed at her.

"Sorry."

"Yeah, stop moping. You can obsess over the messed up things in the world later. Like why I'm not sleeping on the bed instead of the girl who's only known you for three days.

"She's cuter." Reeve returned.

"Nope." Nathan responded, mimicking what Diva and he had said multiple times by now and causing both the boys to chuckle and the girl to giggle.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. But _I'll _do things for Reeve that _you won't._" She teased.

Nathan yawned.

"Perhaps, but I bet there's a few things _I'll _do for him that _you _won't." He spoke a bit sleepily.

"Oh? I'd like to see that." She purred.

Reeve growled.

"Why do you always go there?"

She giggled like usual.

"I like to tease you. Though I really _would _like to see those things he'll do to you."

"_For _me. I don't think I've ever been this close to a female pervert before." He spoke with his eyes closed in disapproval, though he couldn't help but allow the humored grin to begin forming on his face.

"Mhm. I'm sure you're much different." She spoke coyly.

"I am."

"Yeah, right. I bet you'd like to have a threesome with her sister or something." Nathan joked.

His grin disappeared and his eyes opened, seeing Diva had lost her playful expression as well.

Almost instantly Nathan seemed to pick up on it, despite the fact he wouldn't have been able to see them.

"Sorry, is there something between you and her? I didn't even know you _had _one. I was just messing around."

Reeve didn't explain a response for Diva, like he usually did, knowing that this wasn't something he really knew enough about to speak for her on it.

"I… she doesn't like me… and none of the people she's around like me. She's told me I'm a monster, that I'm evil, that I should die."

"Oh man. That's not cool. Did she say all that stuff after you two had a big fight or something?" Nathan inquired further.

"Sometimes that's the case. But I think that is the way she truly feels."

Reeve felt his left hand twitch, knowing that that was _exactly _the case.

"Well, I'm sure her friends are all a bunch of losers who belong to some cult or something. Besides, you haven't sprouted horns while _I've _been around."

Despite the unpleasant subject she managed a smile, in place of laughter.

"Real-life 'monsters' have no horns. Then again, real-life _angels _have no _wings_." Reeve added on or opposed, glancing at Diva as he spoke and causing her to hug against him.

"I'm no angel, Reeve." She spoke sleepily, seeming to try and put some humor into her voice but failing as her awareness did as well.

"Don't worry, you're in the presence of two demons _anyway_."

Almost instantly Nathan opposed him.

"Hey, hey. Don't be wrapping me in with _you_. I'm a _good _boy. I celebrate Kwanzaa and everything."

Reeve and Nathan chuckled, Diva managing a purr as she seemed to fade to sleep.

"You're not a demon Reeve. You just don't remember how to smile." She spoke, the sentence seeming to be the last thing she would create before going to sleep.

They lay there in silence until he heard her breathing change and knew she was asleep.

"So, Reeve, you serious about her?"

Reeve's eyes remained open, though he began to feel his lids getting heavier.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well I'm not one to judge, but she seems like a special girl to me. Only bad thing about her _I _can think of is she's got one mean bitch of a sister."

Reeve actually chuckled a bit at that, causing Diva to stir slightly from the movement of his torso.

"I agree. To be honest, I get the same feeling with her as I do with _you_. Though more romantic of course."

"Really? I'm shocked to hear that. I thought I meant so much more to you." He joked sarcastically.

"You _do _mean a lot to me." Reeve spoke, ending the humorous atmosphere.

He thought he heard Nathan smile in the blackness of the room.

"I know, Reeve. And I'm glad you've finally found someone else who can make you happy too. I can't haul you around with me for the rest of my life." He spoke, once again sounding humorous at the end.

But like before, it was too deep a subject for Reeve to take as a joke.

"I'm sorry, for depending on you this long."

This time he thought he heard a sigh.

"I don't really feel like I'm dragging you around. We're blood-brothers right? We live for each other. Of course I don't feel bad knowing that your happiness depends on me. It just shows how much closer we are, right?"

His eyes narrowed in fatigue.

"Yes. You're right. Live life for your brother; two wolves that share the same spirit, though they may occasionally part for a few fleeting moments."

"It sounded a lot cooler when we were in kindergarten." Nathan admitted, almost laughing, after a small pause.

Reeve did the same, though he made sure not to wake the sleeping girl.

"Well, I'd just learned the word 'fleeting' and I wanted to work it in somewhere. You've gotta admit though, the bit about the wolves sounded pretty sweet at the time."

"Yeah, I'll give ya that." Plus a few years later we got some thousands-of-dollars worth swords. Most expensive friggin' birthday present I've ever gotten. Made the sega my parents got me look like crap."

They lay in the darkness a few minutes more, Reeve occasionally looking over at the small amount of moonlight that made it past the side of the drapes.

"By the way, have you been keeping up with your swordplay?"

"Nah, unlike little kids like _you _I got tired of waving toys around many a year ago."

"Toys that could cut you in half if used correctly?"

"Eh, just because it's a _fancy _toy doesn't mean it _isn't _one. I'll leave the sword-fighting to _you_. I'll just shoot them with my Garand after you lose."

"Well, it's better to be a little kid than an old fart from World War II holding onto his service rifle."

"That was the Korean and Vietnam wars, moron."

"They used 'em in World War II _also_, dumbass."

Once more the two laughed together and Reeve felt his awareness beginning to fade, his "guard" nonexistent now that his blood-brother was here to help him if he were to get in trouble.

"Well, you can't deny sleeping on the floor of my room is better than when we slept out in the gazebo in the garden that one time when we were little."

"Eh, it wasn't so bad. It was kind of like a little campout."

"And then we were woken up at two in the morning when the sprinklers went on; ran through the maze getting soaked and trying not to trip on our own feet as we rushed to get back to my room.."

"It made it more authentic. Haha."

Reeve smiled and closed his eyes, imagining two five-year-old boys lying in a gazebo with a tiny blanket draped over them, clinging to each other as if they were newborn pups.

They ran away to a room when suddenly it felt like it was raining, the two of them falling asleep on the floor, waking up as the sun rose.

The scene was that of a fairytale, and yet he and his brother had shared it together.

Reeve fell to sleep, his love next to him and his brother's spirit right beside him.


	23. Diary

_**Diaries have a strange thing about them.**_

_**They recount both desirable times and undesirable times.**_

_**It reminds you of when you got your new puppy and when you went on your first date, and it reminds you of when that puppy grew old and died and when that date cheated on you or turned out to be a different person than you'd thought.**_

**_When _others _read it a diary may have a strange power over _them_ as _well_. _**

_**The entirety of someone's life experiences is a strange thing to read, if only because it is their life and not ours.**_

**_In that respect the diary's power becomes even _stronger_ when it tells us something about someone we know that had been completely unknown to us._**

* * *

His internal clock went off again and Reeve's eyes opened up, the room brighter than it had been last night but thankfully dim enough that his eyes could endure it.

Diva's head lay beneath his chin and her hands on his chest.

He smiled at the sight, though the sound of Nathan's light snoring made him want to roll his eyes.

It was just a tad bit unfortunate that he would have to move Diva in order to get up. Hopefully she would remain asleep as he did so.

"Nathan. Get up." He told his friend, who's snoring ceased.

He heard Nathan stretching, his first act of waking up, as Reeve looked at Diva again, wondering what the best way to move her was that would keep her from waking up.

That all changed though when he thought he heard someone leap over the wall around his house. A wall that just happened to be twenty feet high.

Reeve tried to be as gentle as possible when he slid his way out from underneath Diva, but put more importance on getting around his bed and over to his window quickly.

Nathan asked him what he was doing as he approached the window silently and pulled the drapes open a bit.

He scanned the garden and saw nothing for several seconds. But then he noticed a man who had blended in quite well throw something at the window.

Reeve closed the drapes and stepped quickly out of the thing's path, and heard it hit the drapes and fall onto his floor.

He heard the same sound he had heard before, though this time he suspected the man had _left_.

His eyes drifted down to look at the drapes and the thing that lay beneath it.

The possibility of it being a bomb momentarily passed through his mind but in an instant he dismissed it.

Due to the immense pull and connections his parents had he'd assumed that an organization, such as the one "Mister David" had been from wouldn't be willing to make a move since they could instantly be shut down by them should they discover the organization had invaded their property.

But while that assumption seemed to be false he _extremely _doubted that if they _were _to attack it would be in a less obvious way; throwing a bomb into his room was way too flashy. Not to mention the materials could be traced back to them.

And if Diva really _was _as powerful as her sister had made her out to be then he doubted that a bomb blast multiple yards away from her would take her out.

He reached under the drapes and pulled out what seemed like a shipping box for books, records and the like.

"_This _is their next warning? Sending me _junk _mail?" He thought to himself while opening it.

"Hey, did someone just throw that up here?" He heard Nathan ask from behind.

"Yeah. Probably some desperate magazine person who couldn't sell 'bean farmer weekly' or something like that."

Nathan chuckled.

"It could be anthrax or something too."

"Well then you open it."

"And have you sue me for opening your mail? Don't think so." He remarked as Reeve pulled the heavy tape off the box.

"Found those plans drawn in crayon from kindergarten did you? I should have known you would stumble upon your mail box eventually."

"Whatever, man. I'm gonna go take a shower."

"Don't get hair all over my tub. I know you do that."

Nathan stuck a hand up as if saying goodbye as he walked into the bathroom and closed the door.

Reeve looked at the door in suspicion, momentarily forgetting about the now-opened box.

"Ten dollars says he's in there going through her clothes." He thought before shrugging and pulling what felt like a record book out of it.

As he did Reeve heard movement coming from the bed and looked over to see Diva's eyes slowly draw open, her mouth curving upward upon seeing him.

"Good morning." She greeted him sleepily.

He smiled back at her and walked over to the bed, setting the book down as he sat down next to her.

The sleepy girl reached a hand out for him, which he took into his own, squeezing it slightly and seeming to make her go to sleep again.

The teenager almost chuckled at how he hadn't even gotten the chance to greet her back as he looked over at the book and picked it up with his free hand.

It was some sort of old diary.

"If I open it, will I go to a happy world of dreams or something?" He thought sarcastically, opening the latch on it.

"Joel's Diary." He read on the cover, no tone of interest or criticism in his voice.

He pulled on the comparatively heavy cover, aiming to read some of it before it was his turn to take a shower, but as he did the door to the bathroom opened.

"That was quick." He remarked, pushing the diary under a blanket as his friend walked out of the bathroom.

Nathan shrugged.

"I forgot to bring a change of clothes yesterday. I hate taking a shower and putting old clothes on."

"Right. You know, if she goes into the bathroom to get changed and discovers her clothes smell like irish spring I'll have no qualms about giving you up."

"Gee, thanks bud. Nah, I didn't do anything. But she left her underwear and stuff on your sink."

He scowled and looked at the sleeping girl. Reeve _swore _her smile changed when he did.

"I'll ask her to clean them up when she wakes up."

Nathan stretched and yawned, sitting on the bed next to him and almost sitting on the diary.

"So, what now?"

"I don't feel like taking a shower now. I'll take one after I get back from school. How about we just head out now?"

"Yeah, I guess. If that's what you want to do. What about her though?"

Reeve looked over his shoulder, gazing down at the sleeping girl.

They'd sent him that diary. And the fact that she seemed to have a deep distaste of the name "Joel" suggested that it likely was an account of all the "terrible" things she'd done. Which meant they were still trying to coerce him into abandoning her. Which meant they wouldn't start attacking the mansion today.

The logic was somewhat shifty, but if he turned the alarm to the house on it would activate the motion sensors in the garden as well, meaning no one would be able to get to her in time before the alarm sounded.

The teenager hoped that would be enough but sighed anyway at how he was leaving her to a "hope".

"I tutor her after school. It won't be a problem."

Nathan nodded.

"Okay, I'll go first then." He spoke, pulling out his keys and leaving the room.

Reeve looked at her for a few more moments.

"Stay safe."

She said nothing, her hand tightened on his.

"I know. I'll be back before you know it."

Her hand squeezed his one last time, and then let him go.

Reeve grabbed the diary and left the room while pulling out his keys, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

Homeroom is just as meaningless and boring as any other day.

That's the only thing Reeve notices about the "outside world" as he sits in a chair, waiting for the bell to ring.

This is happening at the same time that he pulls the diary out of his backpack, giving a quick glance around the room to see if anyone was interested in what he was doing enough for him to put the diary away.

No one does and he opens the latch on the diary once again.

He pulls open the cover and immediately notices that this diary is a genuine old tome; the pages and ink, as well as handwriting and spelling all look like they came from the nineteenth century or perhaps even earlier.

His eyes scan over the first few pages.

"April 8th, 1833. We welcome Saya to the zoo-"

The bell rings.

Reeve sighs as he closes the diary and latches it up again, putting it beneath his text books and setting his backpack down somewhere acceptable before leaving the room.

"Always with the interruptions." He thinks.

Since Nathan and he aren't in the same grade they don't usually see each other in the halls that much, that is until after the school day is over.

It is somewhat fortunate, Reeve doesn't want Nathan to see what likely lies in the diary's pages.

Of course, it is one or more accounts of the history of the sisters and, more than likely, aims to "show Diva for the monster she really is" or something pathetic along those lines.

"I regret being part of this ignorant and idiotic species." He thinks while walking to one of his classes.


	24. Change

Genaroge 1, what I meant by that is the only possible characters that were going to be in here were Diva and Saya. Though it seems the story has has taken a different turn. (I'm going to change the description.)

* * *

_**It is difficult to change from one kind of life to another. **_

_**That is why it usually so difficult to change a criminal into a "good honest citizen", or convince someone who has an addiction that it is a serious problem.**_

_**However, suppose one **_**does**_** want to change themselves; they know that there is a more fulfilling way to live than the way they do now. They make in important step in self-discovery and living a happy life.**_

_**But what would happen if soon after making that decision and as they were beginning to change, something else interferes and causes that change to come to a halt?**_

* * *

Reeve knocked lightly on the door to his bedroom before entering, giving her a sign that he was coming in.

He opened the door and walked into the bedroom, seeing the raven-haired girl lying across his bed, taking up more room than her thin size should allow.

"Did you miss me?" He asked semi-rhetorically, setting his backpack down while walking over towards the bed.

"Yes I did. Very much." She responded honestly, though with no particular tone.

Reeve smiled, sitting down on the bed in front of her.

"Did you miss _me_?" She asked him, smiling.

"More than you can imagine." He replied honestly, sounding more involved in the response than she had.

"Perhaps." She spoke, reaching a hand up to stroke his face.

He touched her back, but only with his eyes.

Of course, she noticed it, and brought up one of his hands with her other free one, placing it against her cheek.

"Mmm. Your hand feels nice." She purred to him, closing her eyes.

Despite the feeling of awkwardness brought about by her sensual response, he still couldn't help but smile deeper.

"How was your school?" She asked, still nuzzling against his hand and stroking his face with one of hers.

"Boring, meaningless, completely devoid of all reason or purpose; normal."

Her smile reflected the humor she felt as Diva opened her eyes and looked at him.

"How was the room?" He asked her, resisting the urge to chuckle.

"Boring. It's no fun when I'm all alone."

"I'm sorry about leaving you here." He apologized, his smile faltering.

"Oh it's alright. I know that you'll always come back to me." She spoke, though he knew that beneath the "statement" she was subtly asking if he always would.

"That's right. I always will. No matter what."

Her smile grew deeper again, a look of sleepy pleasantness on her face as the girl sat up slightly and leaned into his chest.

"So how long will it be until I can go to your school with you?" She asked him, her voice somewhat muffled by his chest but still sounding beautiful.

"I'm not sure. The main problem is there's a lot of technical things to deal with. They won't just let you show up in class and act like you were always there."

"Well that's not very nice." She told him, pushing away enough to sit up more, now resting her head on one of his shoulders.

They gazed into each other's eyes for several moments, a sort of energy formation imaginably being created between the two of them.

Diva moved forward and kissed him on the lips, something he managed to return at the last second and causing her to giggle.

"Have you ever kissed anyone before?" She questioned him, stretching back in the air, held aloft by one of Reeve's arms.

"Yes. But it was only to learn of the experience. I never had any feelings towards the girl I did that with. That's why I took so long to kiss you back."

She shook her head slowly.

"No need to explain yourself. Though, I wonder, how much _else _have you done with other girls that I don't know about?" She teased.

"I'm not inexperienced. I'll put it that way."

"You mean _my _Reeve has already been _soiled_?!" She spoke with surprise.

His response was a ridiculous mixture of awkwardness, shyness, embarrassment and irritation all rolled up into one.

"I'm not…. soiled. And you know I hate it when you call me 'your'."

She giggled, falling away from him and back onto the bed.

"All right then, Reeve; the boy whom I like, what have you done that has made you 'experienced'?"

Reeve looked away, the subject kind of an uncomfortable one for him.

"I'd rather not talk about it."

Her smile faded to the smallest one she had, and the girl sat up.

"Did someone make you do something with them?" She asked curiously, her lack of human emotions disabling any tone of caring that could have been in her voice.

"Of course not. Not every teenage-looking girl is a hundred-something year old vampire with super-strength."

She giggled again.

"Then why don't you want to talk about it?"

Reeve sighed, not looking at her but deciding to explain.

"I don't like sex. It's all a bunch of effort and more often than not, moaning, straining and sweating. All of that for a few moments of pleasure. It's far from worth it to me."

Her head tilted.

"Have you ever done that with someone?"

He scowled.

"Multiple times. Never the same person. It was before I learned how to get my urges completely under control and suppress them."

She purred, sitting up.

"_Completely _suppressed?" She inquired sensually.

He managed a quick, slightly nervous laugh.

"Suppressed enough that I get to decide when I succumb to them."

The girl crawled her way back over to him, coming up his whole body until they lay, face to face, one on top of the other.

"I wonder if I can get past that control." Came the silky soft voice.

"Personally, I would prefer it if we never found out."

She came up to his ear, breathing in it.

"Why is that?"

"I never want to have sex again. Ever. Not just for the sake of lust."

At that statement she backed away a bit, her seductive nature lessening intentionally as a result, her hands holding his back and keeping her up straight.

"Then when would you want to have it?" She asked him, seeming genuinely interested in the question.

"I would want it to be out of love; to have a feeling of deep, intimate love bring it about."

She gave him a satisfied, yet serious smile.

"There are more than enough attractive girls in the world. But who cares how attractive they are if you don't love them?"

"So does that mean you may have it with me someday?"

"I get uncomfortable when anything about that subject is brought up but, yes. I suppose the only time it could happen again would be with you. But under different motivations of course."

She noticed that she was straddling his waist, and rolled off, laying next to him now.

"Well, I wonder when that will ever happen for us."

"That's one thing I couldn't tell you."

"Well, there's bound to be _something _you don't know every once in a while." She teased.

"I suppose."

"So, what are we going to do today?" She asked, obviously interested in what his answer would be.

It was too cold and he didn't know if she could swim, so going to a swimming pool was out.

Then again, there was always one of the "normal" things to do, like go see a movie.

But he didn't know what kind of movies she liked, and for that matter doubted she'd ever watched them to _begin _with. And since she still didn't remember much it would be rather pointless to ask her if she ever _had_.

Knowing her personality as much as he did, the choices could be anywhere from "Legally blonde" to the "of the dead" series by George Romero.

Listening to music, whatever small the chance, might put her back in a "singing" mood again. And he doubted that _that_ would be a good thing for her right now.

Ultimately, Reeve told her he didn't know, and continued thinking about it.

"Well, we could do something fun together."

His eyebrows rose in curiosity.

"Fun?"

She nodded her head.

"Yes, let's do something fun."

"Like what?"

"I'm not sure."

He breathed out a laugh and looked over at a wall in thought.

"Well, that doesn't help a whole lot."

Diva shrugged.

"Well, I can think of _something_ we can do."

"I thought I just got done saying how much I don't like that stuff a little while ago."

She swung a hand over behind Reeve's head and pulled him in for a kiss. It bothered him for someone to be this aggressive but as long as that's as far as it went he didn't care-

An explosion could be heard from downstairs, like someone had just set off a box full of firecrackers down near the front door. Reeve pulled himself out from under her and ran across the room on the balls of his feet to keep from making noise as he opened the door and crept out into the hall. He looked around the corner, barely staying visible for a second, and saw a small team of people coming up the stairs.

"It'll take them at least a minute or two to make it my room." He thought while backing away from the corner and then sprinting, trying to remain as quiet as possible, back to his room. Reeve closed the door behind him and locked it, looking over at Diva who actually seemed concerned.

"What is it?"

"Some people came looking for you before. I sent them away but I guess they don't know how to take 'no' for an answer." He spoke while walking over to his window and pulling the drapes out of the way to see if anyone was down in the garden. A single man wearing a balaclava to cover his face and clothes that looked stretched over normal ones was searching the area, but he didn't seem to have noticed her.

"Was Saya with them?"

"Why?"

"I can take care of them for you if you want to leave. I don't want her poking out at me with that sword of hers though."

"I don't know if she's with them. But you're not strong enough to be able to take them all on."

"Reeve-"

"You're stronger than I am and can do things I can't. I know. But if you lose blood then you get weaker, right?"

"…how did you know that?"

"I read it in a diary. Anyway, you're not used to having to fight people. I'll take care of them."

"But they have guns. You can't survive getting shot."

"I know. That's why I'm not going to take them head on."

She said nothing as he thought over how to handle this.

"They eventually make it in here. It's stupid to just try to fight them like that. Better to…"

His simple strategizing came to an end as he quickly made his way over to his computer and opened a program.

"What are you doing?" Diva asked him, getting off the bed and walking over to him.

"A distraction." He answered simply, finishing the work and turning up the volume on his computer's speakers.

"Let's go. Can you make us land quietly if we jump out the window?"

"For me I can. You're too tall."

"Don't worry about that, I can keep myself bent over enough to counteract that."

"Then I can."

He nodded and they walked over to the window as the two heard the group approaching his room.

"Let's go."


	25. Luck

_**Bravery and cunning can be more deadly than any physical weapon. **_

_**As can a sword defeat a gun; it is a matter of who is behind it that defines how powerful of a weapon or tool something is.**_

_**A genius, given the proper environment, can overcome a small army on their own. **_

_**Unfortunately, in the end, there is one other factor that goes into fighting; it determines your skills at the time, the enemy, the environment, and all other factors to an unexpected extent. **_

_**Luck.**_

_**When your luck runs out, it's been said before, so does your life.**_

* * *

They landed without a sound, except perhaps the wind that blew out below them as they made their landing. However, no one seemed to have noticed. The intruder he'd seen before wasn't in sight, which meant he was likely already in the maze.

"Well, nothing to worry about then; he's not going to find his way through the maze and come attack us _anyway_." He thought.

The tall bushes used to make up the walls of the maze were over different types and such, but all in all there were two different kinds, both of which were seamless from the other. There were the ones that you'd need five minutes with a machete to be able to get through, and then there were the others where you could jump through it and make a safe landing on the other side, if your footwork was good enough.

"Who'd have thought some changes I made in the maze's design so Nathan and I could play a modified version of hide-and-seek would make it the perfect ambushing area should someone invade my home?" He thought almost rhetorically as they heard the door to his room being broken inward.

"Come on, getting down here silently won't be worth much if they spot us from up there." He told Diva. She nodded and they ran into the maze. Reeve estimated in his mind where the intruder would be in the maze and when they reached about the fifth corner he stilled them both.

Reeve leaned past the corner and gazed out down the "aisle"; the man was walking slowly, gun out in front, away from them. At the very least his mental prowess hadn't diminished, though he should have thought about them coming to attack his home directly.

"This Red Shield organization of theirs must not be official; no legitimate group would attack the house of the most powerful people of the city like this." Came more silent thoughts as he turned back to Diva.

"Wait here for thirty seconds, okay?" He whispered to her. Her expression grew a tinge of fear and she held one of his hands.

"Don't worry, neither of us will get hurt. But I'll need to take him down quietly if we don't want to alert the others to where we are."

It took her a moment, but she nodded, and let go of his hand. He gave her a grin, another reassurance, before turning away from her and leaping through the hedge out in front of him. Reeve's shoes landed rather silently on the path on the other side, but he knew the man had heard something. That was the plan though. He walked quietly down the path as the intruder turned around and began investigating the sound.

"About here."

Reeve thrust his hands through another "empty" hedge and grabbed the slide of the man's gun with one hand while jamming the hammer open at the same time. The intruder pulled the trigger on his gun out of reflex, but because of where Reeve's hands were placed, the gun couldn't fire. He stamped down on the man's feet with the heel of one of his shoes and then drove an elbow up into the hollow of his neck an instant later. It took about a second to drop the gun on the ground and then move forward and slam the man's head into the ground.

"Dead or unconscious, you're not going to be any more trouble." He thought while Putting the gun's safety on and sliding it into a pocket. All he could really do was hope the safety didn't get turned off and then shoot him in the leg.

"Diva?" He whispered, and immediately the girl came around the corner and ran quietly over to him.

"See, I told you it wouldn't take long."

She nodded and he took her hand again while stepping forward to keep heading through the maze. However, when she was about to step over the man's body, she halted him. Reeve looked back to see what was keeping her, and saw the girl looking down at the nonmoving intruder.

"What is it?"

"I can take care of them all for you." She told him, as if pondering doing him a small favor. But he wasn't liking this subject. Reeve knew what she had in mind.

"All it will take is a little blood, then I can get rid of them-"

"No."

She looked at him with a flash of surprise going through her eyes as he stared at her determinedly.

"We don't know what will happen to you if you drink blood again. Or if you kill. Not to mention if you _did _kill them and the rest of their group found out they would likely send all of their members after you and I, _including _your _sister_."

" But-"

"Look, we can make it without you having to do any fighting. The best way I can think of for this to go is with me doing all the damage. At least then if they find out what happened to these people they'll know it was me."

"You could get hurt though."

Her concern was actually a bit surprising. Usually she treated him like toy that she loved; she showered him with affection but didn't get overly upset if he got upset or anything. But right now it was obvious that she really didn't want him to get hurt.

"They only have the advantage over me in numbers. If I can take them down one at a time, it won't be an issue."

As she was going to disagree further they heard the door to the garden get thrown open and he knew that they didn't have time for this. She apparently did as well, since there was no resistance when he led her past the body. If they could reach the clearing at the end of the maze that would be all they needed.

"Numbers means nothing if you can't corner or surround your enemy. And how can you do _either _when the very walls you could use to do so may unknowingly be invisible pathways to another place?"

His thoughts might have been intended to reassure him, but he doubted that was the case. He wasn't afraid to die. Though the time he had spent with Diva and Nathan made him happy, without them he might as well be dead anyway. Really, was it better to die to protect them? Or to live, and let them die? It was hard to say either was "better" than the other. Perhaps a more accurate choice of words was "Which was _worse_?". To be honest, he didn't know the answer to that _either_.

Reeve pulled Diva through the maze and passed the complicated twists and turnarounds to the point where he was almost doing so out of muscle memory. Eventually, they reached the clearing, and heard no footsteps nearby.

"We still have enough time. Diva, after I get what I'm after I want you to go hide in the rafters of the pagoda."

"What?"

"It'll be the safest place for you to go. Plus they won't be able to see you from the edge of the clearing."

"And what will _you _do?"

"I'm surprised, for someone who's been alive since before this country existed, you don't seem to know very much about how it came to be."

She was obviously confused at the statement, considering it seemingly had nothing to do with what she'd just asked.

"Our first tactics were guerilla warfare. It worked on thousands of British troops, and it'll work on a few guys with black masks and clothes."

Diva seemed apprehensive as to how he claimed he would be able to defeat them, but by know she most likely knew that there wasn't really anything she could say that would stop him; he wasn't going to let her be in danger, whether she healed or not.

Reeve pulled the case down from its resting place and quickly pulled things out of it to get at the sword's section.

"It's a bit unfortunate that Nathan's not here. If he was it would have been interesting to see if we work as well together in things like this as we do in almost everything else." He thought, pulling his "friend" from where it lay.

"But I guess as long as I've got you to work with, I'll be fine."

"Reeve?"

He glanced up at her and stood, putting his sword into his belt.

"Sorry, I know talking to it can get pretty weird for people sometimes."

"It's alright. Just make sure 'it' doesn't let you down."

Reeve nodded.

"Can you help me up?" She asked.

Once again he nodded, and knelt down, facing the entrance to the clearing, and letting the girl get onto his back. Diva got a firm hold on him and he stood up, raising her high enough to grab a beam and lift herself up. It took the girl a few moments to secure herself into a decently stable position, but he still didn't hear anyone nearby.

"Don't get hurt, Reeve."

He grinned.

"I'll try my best."

Diva's personality seemed to be much more akin to the one he'd known before, yet hopefully it wouldn't be _enough _that she would come _after _him to try and help out.

"Don't go come down or go anywhere until I come back, alright?"

She nodded, and he gave her a quick smile.

"I'll be back, I promise."

She managed to smile as well, though he knew it was only a vain attempt, and he ran away from the pagoda into the maze.

* * *

Ten of them. That's how many of them there were by his count. At the very least, anyway. It was quite possible more still waited in the house in case they'd tried to escape that way.

"I can take them all down if I can manage to single them out. It's possible I could just pull them through the hedges while they're still in the group, but they'd figure out how I get them." He thought, waiting on the opposite side of the corner Diva and he had hid behind a few minutes ago for the other intruders to show up.

He noticed that somehow the hedge's corner still smelled like her flowery aroma. How that was possible, he didn't know; he'd never even seen her putting on or getting something to give her that scent. It made it harder to focus on his mission, but also strengthened his resolve to carry it out. After all, the scent reminded him of who would suffer should fail.

"I don't fail." He spoke out loud, though it was only a whisper.

Though Reeve could hear footsteps now, no one was yet in sight. He'd decided to leave the intruder's body where the man had fallen. It would serve as a distraction later on.

"Speaking of…"

As the footsteps grew louder he picked up a hardened piece of soil and tossed it high over in their direction. He could just barely hear it landing somewhere, but the footsteps ceased for a moment.

"Come on, it could be a threat after all."

Once again the footsteps began slowly making their way in his direction, but this time they sounded less numerous.

"That's right."

There was no way they would send just one person to investigate the sound. Which meant two people there and eight still coming. It wasn't much, but that was a fifth of their strength, and that wouldn't be all. Reeve checked the intruder's body and noted with mixed feelings that he was in fact still alive.

"Better off this way, I suppose. It means they'll most likely leave another man or two behind to guard him."

It was wishful thinking, but if they did indeed do that it would be almost half their strength lost.

Reeve darted through a "veil" hedge; one of the ones that was easier to get through than the more solid bushes, and ran like a ninja along a path that ran mostly parallel to the main one. Within a minute he'd passed the cautious group of men without alerting them, and continued on to where he estimated they had been before.

"This should be about right." He thought to himself while peaking through the hedge in the direction of the dead end where the clump of hard soil must have landed; the two men sent there were coming back to catch up with the main group.

"Sorry, not happening." He thought, backing away from the holes he'd looked through to keep himself from being discovered as they passed by. After they were several feet in front of him he crept out from the hedge and followed them. Luckily the bushes were maintained on a regular basis, so there was no dry stick to step on or some other cliché that would give him away.

Reeve put his hands on the katana and its sheath and slowly pushed the tsuba out enough to so that it was looser, before stamping forward and jolting it into the base of the left man's spine.

A shiver went out across his body as he dropped his gun and stumbled forward, gripping the back of his neck as the other man begun to turn around, surprised.

Reeve drew the sword back again and aimed the tip of the blade forward before plunging it through the other man's heart. He went through a single spasm as Reeve withdrew the sword and ran forward, cutting upward through the recovering man's chest.

The sword swept through the air one last time, as he shook the majority of the blood from it, and then re-sheathed it.

"Two down, eight to go." He thought to himself while running past the two dead men.

"I should be able to get to the next group soon. Then I can use the handgun I took to shoot

all of the last group before they can get to Diva in the clearing."

Six-to-one still weren't desirable odds. But he doubted any more distractions would work. It was a complete fluke that even the old "noise over there" one had worked.

Reeve ran so fast down the path that his feet didn't stay on the ground _long_ enough to make a sound. Within seconds he had managed to reach the next group of _three _men who had been left behind to guard the unconscious intruder.

He placed a hand on his sword as he made his approach, and the men spotted him just as he had the chance to draw it and slice upward through the chest of one of them.

Reeve twisted his body, as well as his wrist, and then swung down through another's torso before the second had ended.

But the third man was drawing his pistol and if he hesitated for even a second he would die. Luckily, hesitation wasn't one of Reeve's numerous strong points.

He lunged past the last living man and cut his head from his body just as the corpse's hand got the chance to fire a single round from the handgun.

The bullet missed him, but it had made quite a lot of noise. Yet as he de-blooded the sword again and sheathed his katana, causing the dead bodies to fall to the ground, he realized that likely the entire group or at least another man or two would come to investigate. The unexpected development had turned to his favor.

Reeve jumped through a nearby hedge and then further down the path so he could get behind whoever spotted the grisly scene. Sure enough, he began to here footsteps quickly moving towards his last ambush and Reeve readied himself. He didn't give the man the chance to see his dead fellows before drawing his sword in a horizontal arc and cutting him in half through the hedges.

"I'm offended; we're considered worth killing and yet all we get is a bunch of goons with the intelligence of an enemy from a Super Nintendo game?" He thought with a bit of amusement while the bisected hedges fell over the dead man's corpse, covering up the majority of the gore.

"No time to clean up. They could be heading back here or they could be heading to the clearing for all I know."

It wasn't worth the risk of waiting here to find out just to possibly take out one more enemy, and he rushed down the path towards the clearing as fast as he could. The dozens of dead ends seemed to flash by as he rapidly closed the distance between him and the clearing.

When he turned the last corner Reeve discovered, to his chagrin, that he'd been right; one of the men stood guard facing out in his direction while the other three were searching the clearing. Apparently they had just arrived, and they hadn't even found Diva yet, but he wasn't about to just wait for them to leave. All it would take for one of them to spot her would be a curious look up into the pagoda's rafters and it'd be over.

Reeve once again ducked into an adjacent path and made his way up to where the single man remained guarding the entrance.

He slowly drew out the katana and aimed it in his direction with the blade pointing down. His eyes peered out through the natural holes in the hedges and then he thrust the tip through the man's neck, up into his brain, making sure to avoid the carotid artery so he didn't bleed too much. Afterwards he pulled the dead man over against the hedge he hid behind to hide both the blood and the sword in his neck and head.

It didn't take long for one of the searchers to notice the guard's strange posture and called out to him.

"Hey, what are you doing?! This isn't a time to be taking a nap!"

Obviously, the guard made no response.

"Hey!"

Still nothing.

"Stupid son of a…"

Reeve heard footsteps approaching the guard and he, according to his plan.

"I kill him and then I shoot another one before running away; the last man follows me and I pick him off somewhere in the maze, they'll never be the wiser to Diva's presence." He thought. Unfortunately, it seemed that now was the time that his luck decided to end, as through one of the parts in the shrubs he saw an edge of Diva's dress fall down into plain view, drawing the attention of another one if the searchers.

"Sir, over here." The discoverer said as he began to walk around the pagoda to get inside and see what he'd found.

Reeve scowled and didn't have enough time to see if the man who'd come over towards him was the man in charge before withdrawing his sword from the guard's head and leaping out of the shrubs at an angle, bringing himself into the clearing and rolling the last few steps before piercing the man's torso with his blade. It was a desperate move, but at the very least it drew the attention of the other two, which was the primary objective.

The teenager pulled both himself and the dead man down to the ground, using his size to make him a human shield for the moment as he pulled the handgun from his belt and shot to the side of the body, firing multiple rounds into the farthest man's chest.

As the rounds smacked into the body and he saw the last survivor drawing his gun, Reeve fired more shots in said man's general direction, though the bullets only succeeded in forcing him to get behind one of the beams of the pagoda for cover.

The gun clicked empty and Reeve withdrew his sword while spinning up and lunging over the new corpse's body, running like a predator trying to catch up with its prey.

Unfortunately, his bad luck streak seemed to be continuing- or, to be more specific, _ending_, as before he could reach the last one the man stood up and aimed the gun at his chest.

Reeve was too far away; even with a lunge he wouldn't be able to reach the armed man, and he stopped his charge.

His enemy- most likely his to-be killer, wore the same mask and black clothes as the others had. He wasn't even any different from the rest of them; he was about to be gunned down by someone that was just as untalented as the rest because his luck had run out.

"I've gotta say, kid, you did really well for a brat with a sword. I take it the rest of my team isn't showing up?"

His eyes betrayed no fear; Reeve wasn't afraid of dying. The only question was could he kill this man before _he _died?

"You'd be correct."

"Damn. You were smarter than I gave you credit for. I take it that thing we saw hanging from inside that gazebo is the girl's dress or something? That's why you did something that stupid?"

"Why should I tell you? You're just going to find out in a manner of seconds _anyway_."

"You're right. I am. Not sure what made you think you could take on an armed squad of men, but you're game's over now kid."

The man's grip tightened on the gun, and then a loud sound filled his ears


	26. Death

_**The world can turn on you. Your life can end.**_

_**Yet there will always be those special few left behind that care about you. **_

_**They will support you when you are hurt. And mourn you when you die.**_

_**Such people are what make life worth living; they give us meaning, knowing that our pitiful existences were worth something to someone.**_

_**But when those people vanish, we might as well be dead.**_

* * *

"That's what made me think I could do it." Reeve thought as the speakers from his computer far away erupted in sound. The sudden burst of noise flooded both their senses, but unlike the arrogant man, Reeve had been expecting it, and as it slowed down his enemy's reflexes enough for him to move off-line, he used the music to help glide himself towards the surprised individual and grabbed his gun with one hand while slamming the ridge of his hand into the offending person's throat.

It took him a second to back away and aim the gun at him, giving the man just enough time to widen his eyes before a bullet shot through his face. Needless to say, that was all it took to send him falling backward onto the ground, dead.

Reeve put the safety on the gun and tossed it onto the dead man as he picked up his sword and then the sheathe, sliding the blade back into it and walking up the steps of the pagoda-styled gazebo.

"Reeve?" Her voice spoke down from atop the beams within it. It was darker up there but he could still see a look of relief on her face at knowing he was alright.

They were both oblivious to the deafening volume of the music coming from his computer's speakers and soon the noise seemed to vanish altogether.

"Did you get them all?"

"I think so. I want you to stay here while I go and check the house."

"But it's too easy for you to get shot in there."

He smiled.

"If you keep talking like that I'm going to think you're starting to turn into a human." He spoke. It was his version of a joke. Though it was a bit of an awkward thing to say, she smiled all the same.

"Maybe. Maybe you're turning me into one."

"Ha, if there were ever a person to teach you how to be like a human it certainly wouldn't be me."

"You would be surprised, Reeve."

He closed his eyes and shrugged before walking over to the gazebo.

"So, can I come down now?"

His eyes opened and he looked up at her affectionately.

"What? You don't like it up there?"

"You just want to look up my skirt you naughty boy."

He laughed as opposed to got upset and shook his head.

"I'm not sure whether or not they're all dead. It's quite possible some more are left in the house, waiting in the lobby or something like that."

She gave a pouting face while pulling her dress back up so it didn't hang from the beams.

"How long must I stay up here, Reeve? I want to be down there with you so we can go do something fun together."

Reeve chuckled again.

"I suppose that after being hunted by your own sibling for over a hundred years random guys showing up intent on shooting you isn't all that disturbing." He mused.

She smiled again and leaned forward, almost to the point of losing her balance.

"I'm just not worried because I have you to protect me." She teased.

"Is that so? I'm most honored milady." He responded semi-sarcastically.

Diva giggled and her eyes narrowed enough to show her affection.

"I'll leave it to you then, great knight. Be careful."

"Heh. Don't worry about me. I should be more than enough for some clowns running around in black sui-"

A loud noise overcame his senses, but it wasn't the music. In fact, he realized just as the sound erupted, that the music had been turned off. No… the sound that he heard was more like an explosion of noise.

He continued staring up into Diva's eyes as they both realized what the sound was, and he felt the noise given form as something blasted through the side of his torso. Blood splattered onto the grass, staining it an unfamiliar shade of red. Reeve looked down at it, and felt no pain. It was just a feeling after all.

Reeve looked up at Diva again, her eyes wide, and then tumbled forward into the grass.

She screamed his name. It was the first time he'd heard her beautiful voice strained like that.

His hands trembled in anger as he fought to push himself up, but failed to do so. It seemed that with each new spurt of blood from his torso, more and more of his strength left him. All of his knowledge of human anatomy was useless and unimportant as he felt like he was dying and knew that that was most likely what was happening.

"Ri- ridiculous." He spoke into the grass, blood seeping from his mouth.

Footsteps approached the clearing; five men or so, and he reached for the katana that had fallen down next to him, only to have someone stomp on his hand and cause him to scowl in pain. The action caused Diva to jump down onto the gazebo's floor, knocking her knees against the hard wood in the process. However, the pain she must have felt didn't even make her wince; the girl ran at them and opened her mouth, aiming to tear his assailant's neck out.

"Get away!" Reeve yelled. But she seemed completely deaf to any and all things as she charged at the man above him like a mother bear going after poachers that attacked her cubs. For all the ferocity in her expression and body language, however, she was only as strong as a teenage girl. So when two of the remaining four men grabbed her by the shoulders and threw the girl away from them face first into the ground, there wasn't much she could do.

Diva sprung up from the ground, but was instantly thrust back into it by the other two men, who held her in place.

Reeve struggled at the sight of her being restrained and pushed the booted foot from his hand while drawing the sword out of its sheath with a single hand and swung it haphazardly up at him. The bastard back away before it could cut him in half and Reeve noticed that he wasn't another one of the random black-suited operatives.

"Who… are you?" He demanded with a growl building in his voice.

He looked like he'd been in the military; though he was by no means young, he was in good shape and his muscles strained against the business suit that he wore. The dark red and black outfit looked out of place on his chiseled body and the only thing that made it look like it belonged there was his medium-length dark brown hair that seemed to have been styled by a professional. The gun in his hand counteracted that, however, and his smirking expression looked like that of a mafia kingpin.

"Maxim Kirill; head of the Red Shield organization." He spoke almost boastfully. No… this wasn't boasting; he maintained composure. To think that a group of misguided naïve idealists were led by such a man.

"Your name is 'the greatest lord'? What a- ekh, presumptuous name." He spoke, coughing up blood.

"Perhaps. It's unimportant to you, however."

He was right; Reeve was losing a lot of blood, and he was doing it very quickly. Soon he wouldn't have the strength to even sit up, let alone protect Diva and kill all these men.

"I'm… I'm not going to just let you kill her." He spoke with virtually no breath.

"It's not your choice. I could dig her eyes out with a finger and then make you eat them in the condition your in if I really wanted to."

His body trembled, just as much out of strain now as out of anger, as the man suddenly stepped forward and slammed a foot into his chest, pressing him backwards into the ground and causing new pain to erupt in his torso.

"But don't worry; I have not intention of killing her."

Reeve strained his head to look up, scowling at the man. He wasn't smirking, but it felt as though he were.

"You informed one of our members that she is no longer the way she was."

He nodded to one of the two guards that remained unassigned to a task and the man smirked, walking over towards Diva before setting his weapon down out of her reach and pulling out a knife.

"W- what are you doing?!" He yelled, a small geyser of blood erupting from his mouth at the unwise use of significant lung power.

"I'm no fool, boy; we aren't going to be satisfied until she can't so much as lift a finger to hurt us."

"R- Reeve-" Her pleading ceased as the man descended towards her and placed the tip of the blade to her throat.

"Wait! Stop!"

The demand went unheeded and the knife sank into her neck, drawing a significant amount of blood and making her eyes go wide as it was slowly dragged along her entire throat until it reached a carotid artery, and cut through that as well. She struggled more for a few seconds, shrieking. But as she bled more her struggling began to die down and ultimately all she was capable of doing was lying there, helplessly, as her wounds barely closed themselves.

"She's done, sir." The man who'd cut her throat informed Maxim like he'd just succeeded in loading weapons for a mission.

"Good. Go on."

"Stop! She's too weak to do anything!"

The foot pressed down harder on him and made him clench his jaw closed to keep from allowing any sounds of pain to escape.

"You said she was different. I wish to know if you're just saying the little bitch developed feelings or if there was something physically different about her. Slow-healing wounds means nothing; it means she's weak. But if for example she could now be impregnated by a non-chevalier. Now that would be something."

His eyes widened before they glared at the cruel bastard and Reeve struggled harder against his foot which seemed to weigh as much as an old tub on his chest. However, it did little, and the soldier also continued to "accomplish his mission", by tearing Diva's clothes off of her and inspiring some resistance from the malnourished girl once again.

"NNnng. Nnoo." The unintelligent blabber sounded unreal coming from her as the man undid his belt and then his pants.

"R- Reeve! Please!"

He let go of the sword and tore at the man's shoe with his fingernails, but it did nothing.

"Hold on! I'll-"

"Unh!"

Her struggling increased against the two guards that held her captive but it wasn't any use; the humiliating process continued and she trembled more than Reeve did. Whether it was out of fear or just plain misery was hard to tell, and he didn't care; she was suffering, and he couldn't stop it.

"What are you two doing? Taking a picture with your radios? People don't get impregnated on their own you know." Maxim scolded them like they were doing badly on a paper.

The two that had been holding her down let go of the girl's limp body for a few moments while taking their own positions at the unoccupied spaces at her rear and mouth.

Maxim showed no amusement at seeing her suffering, and he showed no shame. It seemed like it was just a task to him; he had an objective, and this was a normal, unobtrusive way to accomplish it. That was exactly how he probably felt.

Reeve did not maintain the same objective approach at this point, and did everything he could to break free. It was all in vain though; perhaps if a normal person were holding him down with a single foot, it would be possible to escape, but this man had to have been in the military. His root to the ground was solid and- why the hell did he care?!

He growled while tearing at the man's shoe and pants with renewed effort.

"You're a vicious little bastard, aren't you? I don't know what it is about that girl that gets you so amped up, but it doesn't matter if you have claws; you're not moving me."

A gasp escaped from her as the wind was pushed from her stomach before something clogged her mouth and all her limbs were held still. Though she was being gangraped not a single person who could have been watching the scene would have found it arousing; it wasn't an act of sex, it was an act of violence. The soldiers didn't care about her looks. They likely didn't even enjoy doing such a thing to a girl that looked like she was sixteen. It was all about the mission given to them by their bastard for a boss.

The minutes continued on and multiple times she was invaded by substance, until at last Maxim seemed satisfied with the "saturation".

"That's enough. Call the van and have them drive over here; we're leaving. Bring the girl with us, but make sure you don't let her near your necks."

"Sir, what about the boy?" A familiar voice asked the stern leader; the only soldier who hadn't been capable of looking at the disgusting scene.

"We'll leave him. If he lives, he lives. If he doesn't… we're not an official organization anyway. Let's go."

"Oh no you don't." Came a voice from behind both of them. The voice made Reeve strain to look around the man and saw someone raising a weapon behind him.

Maxim turned around and brought up the handgun but the weapon only served to partially block the blade that cut down at him; it didn't stop it. The suit tore as the sword cut through the fabric and the man and sent him down to the ground.

The blade leapt for the soldier, David's, head and though the seasoned soldier had better luck getting his gun in the way it still struck the cylinder of the revolver into his face, knocking the man to the ground.

"Nathan…" Reeve remarked sleepily, drawing his friend's gaze for a moment. It wasn't the carefree look his friend was best known for; it was a look of absolute hatred and crippling sadness at the same moment. It was a feeling brought about by the realization that his blood brother could die.

Without a word Nathan ran past him towards the group of soldiers who were just now withdrawing themselves from Diva and allowing her body to land hard on the ground.

One of them didn't even get the chance to button his pants before the sword thrust through his eye, brain and skull with a simultaneous sound of tearing, rupturing, and cracking.

Nathan tore the sword from the man's head and swept it sideways, slashing the other two across the chest and sending all three of them down to the ground in a matter of seconds.

It took him only a moment to turn about and run back to Reeve, dropping his sword and checking his friend's wound.

"Nathan…"

"Shut up. Don't talk or I'll knock you out. You need to stay quiet so you don't die any quicker."

A blood chuckle came from Reeve's mouth.

"So sensitive; breaking it to me like that."

Nathan tried to chuckle as well, but was incapable of doing so.

He tore a piece of Reeve's heavy shirt off and placed it over his wound, applying pressure to it as his friend grunted.

"Yeah, I know. Sorry man." Nathan spoke as he drew his phone out of one of his pockets.

"How did you know?"

"I didn't."

"But your sword."

"I bring it with me everywhere. Just in case."

Reeve began to chuckle again but couldn't manage to.

"Diva…" He spoke, trying to rise. Nathan held him down and glanced over at her.

"She's not going to die. Don't worry. We need to get you help."

Nathan open his phone with his free hand and began to dial in the numbers for 911.

"Everything'll be alright, Reeve. Don't worry."

He heard something then.

It was a familiar sound.

What was it?

It took Reeve several moments to realize what it was. By then the phone had fallen from Nathan's hand and his friend fell forward onto him.

He trembled again.

It wasn't out of strain though.

It wasn't out of anger either.

It was out of fear.

Reeve's eyes bulged, looking at his friend falling onto him.

The warmth between them helped him forget about his loss of blood. But that was only for a few moments. Within seconds their blood was combining as he felt liquid spilling from Nathan's chest and his friend's breathing began to halt.

"No…"

Nathan's hand began to twitch, but it didn't stop him from raising one and grabbing a hand of Reeve's, pulling them both up and holding them up in the air.

His friend- his brother looked him in the eyes, and smiled.

"We're friends… right?"

Reeve gripped his hand back, and pulled his friend closer to him, feeling its form becoming more and more relaxed.

"Of course. Forever."

The smile on Nathan's face widened for a moment.

"I needed to know that."

Reeve swallowed the blood in his throat as his friend's eyes began to fade.

"Reeve… be happy… you can't live like you… you can't live like you are forever; empty and lonely."

"What are you talking about?! You're here, I'm not lonely."

"Sorry… I let you down."

"No, you didn't. Stay awake. Don't worry, we'll be fine. We always are, right?"

"Not this time, man. It's just you."

"Not just me. Stay here, I don't want to-"

"I love you; you're my brother. Keep living."

"It's not worth it without you-"

"It is. She is."

"But-"

"Make her happy, and love her."

"I don't know how to. Stay here and teach me how."

His friend opened his mouth to laugh, but only blood came out of it.

"Moron… you know how."

"Not without-"

Nathan's hand rose theirs above their heads and he closed his eyes.

"We live. We die. But we'll always be…"

The hand went limp, and fell from Reeve's grip as Nathan's breathing stopped.

He shook his head and hugged Nathan to him like a child to their departing relative. But it wasn't any use. His friend was dead.

"Nathan…no…you can't… damnit… you can't!"

The boy gave no response and he felt himself trembling again as tears welled in his eyes over the loss of his one and only true friend.

He trembled, but it was no longer in fear. It was not in pain either. His heart felt as if it stopped, and then was lit on fire again as his eyes snapped open and he moved his friend's neck.

Clenching his hands so tight it hurt, he bit into the carotid artery and sucked blood into his mouth, consuming it ravenously as he apologized a million times over in his mind and in his heart.

With each gulp his hatred rose, as well as his body's energy. It felt as if his eyes were glowing and his left arm trembled violently.

Reeve pulled his mouth from his dead friend's neck.

"You… I'm going to…"

The soldiers had gathered around the fucker that had shot both of them, forming a protective wall despite the gashes in their chest and the mark on David's forehead.

His eyes glared at them like ravenous wolf and Reeve slipped out from beneath his friend.

"You're going to die." He spoke, his voice more a growl than anything else.

All of the soldiers, including David, showed signs of fear from the pure hatred and animosity that lay behind his gaze. But all he could see was his enemy- his prey- the man that had taken from him the only friend he'd ever had or ever would have.

"I'm going to eat you you filth, and I'll show you what changes you've succeeded in causing tonight.

His body sunk low and then his form leapt at the group, landing on one of the soldiers and digging his fingers into the man's eyes. They tore easily and he crushed them to make sure they wouldn't work before digging his fingers deeper into the man's eyes sockets and imbedding them behind the cavity. The soldier gave a spasm, and he leapt onto the other one, biting his throat and pushing against his head and chest while tearing it from his neck.

The world was covered in blood, and he dropped the esophagus from his mouth while looking around for his prey. He spotted it a moment later as the last two survivors fled the area.

He pursued them, managing to dodge any bullets they haphazardly fired as his body traveled across the ground and drew him closer to his prey.

They darted around a corner in the maze and he chased after them, soon rounding the corner himself-

They were gone.

"No!" He roared.

His body leapt at a path and he tore down it, reaching a dead end.

"Damnit!"

He turned about and ran back to the main path, going down another one. It too was a dead end.

"Nraaaagh!"

It wasn't yelling anymore, it was an animal's roars of rage.

The animal that used to be a human ran around the maze, searching for them, as his movements began to slow and he began to pant. His running fell to stumbling which fell to crawling, which fell to stillness.

He felt only rage and a deep emptiness as his blood loss caused him to lose consciousness, dragging him down into the same black pit he imagined Nathan had seen.


	27. Out of darkness, and into fire

Just a quick note, starting this week, updates will be weekly. This should make it more consistent in terms of updates, as opposed to big periods of rapid-posting and then bouts of nothing. Also, I realize this chapter is very short, but it certainly seemed like the best place to stop it.

The update day for this story will be Wednesday.

* * *

_**There is no point in living.**_

_**All of the things we value, that hold meaning to us… what are they worth? **_

_**For happiness is nothing more than an emotion; a word with definition attached that was made up so that we think there is anything close to a worthy reason to exist.**_

_**All of those things that we value eventually vanish, and we are left feeling worse than we did before.**_

* * *

"Nathan…"

The light-hearted, blonde-haired young man seemed like the visage of death before its grisly transformation. It reminded him of a prince that was loving towards everyone, a person that treated anyone equally, and was not above inconveniencing himself to help them out. Above all, he had an unstoppable determination to help those that he cared about.

The pool of blackness in Reeve's mind trembled as the image changed.

The people that the prince treated kindly conspired against him and stabbed the young man in the back, as was typical of most humans on this earth. His love was returned with nothing but hate, and in answer to his equal treatment of everyone people that should have been kept away were allowed close; near enough to assassinate him. His determination to help people he cared about drew him to death at the hands of the most despicable of all conspirators.

Reeve was the cause for all of that, and he knew it. If he hadn't befriended Nathan, then his life most likely would have lasted much longer, and certainly would have been happier.

The only reward Nathan had gotten for being a true friend was an undeserved death.

Really, what point was there now? What point was there in opening his eyes; in going back into his dream that had gone from a monotone limbo to a turbulent nightmare? What would _he _get for being brave? The same end? It wasn't worth it then. There was no point in going back to that damnable world of people, only to suffer through more pain.

"Reeve!"

It was his name, but he didn't call it. For that matter, it didn't even feel like it was directed at him. He felt more like rotting road kill than the corpse of a human. Truth be told, there was no importance nor significance left behind that name anymore.

"Reeve!" The voice called him again.

Was there something in that world that wanted him back? Perhaps parents that only cared about him because he was their offspring; hardwiring of natural selection to make a generation of a species care about the next. Perhaps it was one of his teachers from school; selfish people that only wanted him to live so they could say they discovered his great intelligence and hope for some form of publicity in the ensuing interest in his mental capabilities.

The realities of these people seemed so obvious to him, and yet now so boring. What was worth returning to that cursed world?

"Reeve! Please!"

The voice sounded beautiful. It was like a serenade flowed through the sound that emanated from the speaker's mouth. Was such a voice truly calling for him to return? No, it was impossible. In the twisted world of people, nothing that pure could or would exist.

"Please…"

Yet it called for him. Perhaps this voice inhabited the same world, yet not the same _realm_.

His chaotic thoughts swirled together and began to reform his consciousness as the voice called him out of darkness. The voice cried once more, and his eyes opened, staring up at a bright light. Though it was blinding, the strange-colored eyes that gazed up at it did not blink, nor squint.

Suddenly something came in from the edge of the bright existence and helped shade him from some of it. It was a person, a girl. Her beautiful features seemed even more accented by the light behind her which made her appear as an angel.

"Of all the things… I'd never have thought there would be a heaven. Let alone that I'd end up in it if there _was_." His voice seemed to speak on its own.

The beautiful girl smiled and pulled him up to her, embracing him.

"Reeve, I'm so glad…"

His eyes blinked once, and then he remembered.

"Diva?" He spoke, wondering if it was a mirage.

She pulled back enough for them to see each other's faces.

"Yes, it's me."

"I thought…"

"Shh. Relax. Something is going to happen to you, but it will only feel bad for a little while."

"What are you saying?"

The voice that spoke to her was coarse, it didn't sound like his refined voice at all. It was typical of someone that was at death's door.

"You're going to feel good when you wake up, but it's going to feel a little weird for a bit."

Before he could ask again he felt himself split apart. His entire body separated and twisted around, transforming into something else. The pain it caused him wasn't comparable with anything else he'd ever felt, and he realized as the churning sensation throughout his entire body continued that his own genetic structure was being completely re-written.

Reeve scowled, and he felt something in his left hand burst; it was a leak in a pipe, a cracked piece of glass… something was not going the way it was supposed to. But nothing caused him to cry in pain. Rather, a beastly growl, motivated by more hatred than most could muster, emanated from his throat as he remembered his friend's death and felt a much greater pain than a physical sensation could ever bring him.

Tears streamed from his eyes, weeping as he growled at the world to show his displeasure for its misjudging of his friend.

He remembered nothing aside from his experiences with Nathan and Diva, and his own name. Facts tugged at his mind but it felt like he couldn't unlock the door that led to them.

As his body trembled with the change in his life his mind changed as well; the towering spires and castles that once signified his stern commitment to remaining strong and proud in a world full of flaws fell into disarray as it was overcome by a much stronger desire.

His love for Diva and Nathan remained just as strong, but from that love emerged a much stronger feeling; hatred. Hatred for those that had caused him and Nathan and Diva pain. He didn't know who it was. He didn't need to. All Reeve knew, as his body transformed into something beyond his understanding was that he completely loathed this world, and that he wanted to burn it all down.

The pain ceased, and his body ended its trembling.

"Are you alright?" Diva asked him.

His eyes stared out, both hollow and filled with wrath at the same time. He saw in her own pure blue eyes the emptiness echoing back at him, as well as the sadness that was too basic of an emotion for him to be able to exhibit.

Reeve's tone was flat, and solemn as images of burning cities and humiliated liars came to mind, all amongst a backdrop of chaos that was the only possible way to rebuilt such a shattered and twisted world.

"I'm fine."


	28. Finale of fire

_**The Roman empire did not suddenly crumble, it was a process.**_

_**Nor did people instantly possess the capability to fly across the world in massive objects called "planes".**_

_**Neither of these things, and many more, happened instantaneously. And one will find, if they examine it enough, that every significant event in history had prior evidence somewhere that foreshadowed it. **_

_**The end of a life is no different; you can see it ending, you just may not be looking in the right direction at the right place at the right time.**_

_**Significant change is not instantaneous. And a life cannot end with any less evidence foreshadowing it than its birth.**_

_**However, for a new life to truly begin, the old one must end, one way or another.**_

* * *

He told her he didn't need help getting up, but Diva helped him anyway.

"What did you do?" He asked her, knowing that there was no possible way he would still be alive if she hadn't done something.

"I gave you some of my blood. You can live forever now."

He looked down at the ground and thought about it. Living forever… did he really want that? Before what had happened today, as long as Nathan and Diva were with him, he would have wanted to live for eternity. But now, even though Diva was still here, he still held a lonely spirit knowing that his blood brother was dead.

"I feel stronger too."

"You are."

Reeve glanced at her and saw that she didn't seem overjoyed to have given him her blood. He knew she didn't regret saving him from death, but something about it must have bothered her.

"What is it?" He asked.

A flash of indecision went through her eyes. It seemed the Diva that he had met first was in more control now than the Diva that had been around the longest. Still, Diva was Diva, and the strong girl wasn't a dishonest one.

"I didn't want you to have to be my chevalier unless you were going to die. Even then, I didn't want to do it unless you told me you wanted to."

He narrowed his eyes, sensing there was something deeper behind what she was saying.

"I love you Reeve. I know I don't usually show it… but I love you maybe more than you love me. Making you live forever when you might not have wanted to wasn't something I did easily."

He managed a smile, even though the majority of his consciousness didn't want to.

"I didn't want to die. I feel… I've felt better. But I'm not ready to die quite yet."

She hugged him to her while holding them both up on shaky legs.

"When your safety is guaranteed, and there'll be someone left to love you; then I can die."

"Shh. Don't talk like that."

Her disapproval came mere seconds before her legs gave way and she began to fall. However, _his _picked up the slack and their roles reversed, though he didn't shake as he held them aloft.

"You gave me blood even after losing all of that when you got cut?"

Diva leaned again him again, though this time for support as well as a sign of affection.

"Of course."

The memory of what those people had done to her churned around in his head like an enraging mixing pot and he almost tightened his hands enough to hurt Diva, but stopped himself before that could become a reality.

"I suppose that since I'm not a human anymore it isn't really dangerous for you to drink my blood now." He offered with some reluctance. But she shook her head.

"I don't want to. Not from you."

"At the very least it's nice to know that _someone _actually remains that cares about me." He thought. Though the realization was much like throwing a bucket of water onto a house afire.

"I suppose if you really wanted to, you could get blood from the people who attacked us, but it seems like it would taste like filthy water to me."

She smiled as she leaned against him.

"Don't worry, I'll survive. Will you take care of me?"

He looked down at her, Diva gazing back.

"Do you really have to ask?"

A flash of surprise passed across her face, but that smile was soon back in control.

"No."

He waited almost a minute before speaking again.

"It's not safe for us to stay here anymore. I'll get some money and we can use my car to drive somewhere else, but there's something for me to do before that."

It didn't taker her long to discover what he was talking about.

"I understand. Let's go see Nathan."

He felt the flames that fueled him burn cold for a moment, before they started back towards the clearing.

The sword drove down through the pile of dirt, almost reaching the body that lay beneath it.

Reeve wasn't the kind of person to dig around in the dirt, but Nathan, in his mind, at the very least deserved a proper burial, compared to all of the other filth that lay about the clearing.

His friend- his _brother_ had been a kind-hearted, strong, and honorable person. He head died protecting someone he cared about, and held no regrets over it. Nathan would always be a purer person than Reeve.

The same sword he had used to save his brother now lay imbedded in the dirt that buried him, and would signify the difference between his resting place and the others'… when it was discovered.

Diva stood behind him, knowing that even though he was hurting, this was a time when even she shouldn't be close to him. How a girl who had been ignored for so long could perceive and feel all of these things, when she herself rarely showed significant emotional attachment, was beyond him, and only went to show how wrong everyone else was to label her as "evil".

"No." He thought.

"She is not evil. Diva does what she wants to and because it is her own decision. She has remained pure in a world full of twisted and cruel people that would damn a blind person for not drawing a traditional masterpiece. If there _is _such a thing as evil in this world… _those _people are it."

His thoughts came to an end and he gripped his sword's sheath tightly.

"But not for much longer."

His eyes gazed down at his friend's final resting place and he closed his eyes, making a promise.

"Goodbye, my friend."

Then he opened his eyes and turned around, every step he took never to retraced as he walked to Diva and past her, the girl following quickly after him.

"There is one final thing for me to do here, then we can go." He spoke to her, his voice filled with solemnity.

"Whatever you want to do…" She told him softly.

He led her back into the maze, and eventually out of it. Reeve didn't bother going through the hassle of making his way back to the lobby of a front hall and then ascending the stairs; with Diva holding onto him he used his now-inhuman strength to bound them both up to his room's window, letting her down afterwards.

It would have bothered Reeve if he had gone from being stronger than someone, to being weaker than them, but it didn't seem to bother Diva in the least. There was certainly something about her that he didn't have.

The teenager walked over to his computer, completely insensitive to all of the other things in his room, like he had always been. However, _now _the insensitivity was the result of a different realization of the meaninglessness of it all.

Reeve noticed with what resembled satisfaction that when the people had "turned off" the volume they'd shot the speakers, as opposed to the computer itself. Luckily, it remained on.

His fingers typed "The End" into the keyboard as he held down "ctrl", and a message box opened; "yes" or "no" were the only clickable options, and it didn't actually ask him a question. He knew the answer though; Reeve clicked "yes", and the computer shut off as the sprinklers out in the garden, as well as in the ceilings of the house, turned on.

"Don't get it in your mouth. It tastes bad." He told Diva as the sprinkler in his own room turned on, spraying a liquid all over the place. However, it wasn't water. The smell reminded him that it was time to leave, so he grabbed his keys and they left the room, walking down the hall as the sprinklers continued to spray them and the building, as well as the garden outside, with the liquid that lay in alternate, private storage tanks beneath the property.

They walked down the stairs, which made a squishing noise as their feet pushed down on its carpeted steps, and he held tight to Diva's hand with one of his own, and to the sheath of his sword in the other.

Reeve and Diva reached the first floor and walked to the exit, opening both doors together. Not an instant went by before they walked through the doorway and out onto the outside steps as the doors closed behind them.

With a squeak, as if begging him to reconsider, the doors began to close behind them. Before they could do so completely, he let go of Diva's hand for an instant to grab the handle of the sword and whip it out, scraping it less than a millimeter against the marble floor of the house but enough to create a spark, which set the water-soluble flammable liquid ablaze just as the doors closed, joined by the sound of his sword going back in its sheath.

"Goodbye, Nathan." He thought one more time, before turning away from the doors once again, Diva holding his hand.

Reeve and Diva left together, departing from the end of his old life with hands held tight as they prepared to begin anew.


	29. My light in the darkness

_**Darkness won't go away, no matter how many lights you put on. **_

_**For with each light that turns on, it creates a shadow; it, a source of light, creates more darkness.**_

_**However, the same can be said true of **_**light**_**; no matter how much darkness there is, so long as even a **_**trace **_**of light remains, it will never be truly gone.**_

_**In a world where we don't know whether to light a candle or not, for fear that it will be snuffed out, perhaps giving our candle to someone who will keep it burning for us until we can sustain the flame **_**ourselves**_**, is the only way our light will ever remain.**_

* * *

He glanced at Nathan's car, but only glanced; if he looked at it much longer Reeve was concerned that he might start to lose the resolve that he had gained. Nathan was, after all, the only tie to his old life that he had actually _valued_.

Luckily, his friend had pulled the car up along the side of Reeve's own, so it was entirely possible to still drive away without having to move the vehicle by hand.

"Though who knows? That might be really _easy _now." He thought, opening his car door as Diva walked around the side to get in the passenger seat.

"Why do _I _have to sit in the back?" He heard come from the back seat. Without looking, he responded "because Diva's prettier".

"Uh-_uh_!"

"Uh-_huh_!"

The imaginary exchange brought a small smile onto his face that threatened his cold disposition in the name of both happiness and sadness. Fortunately, as Diva got in the car as well, not seeming to have heard what he'd said or simply not mentioning it, he shook off any of the emotional baggage that remained and turned the car on.

"So, where are we going?" Diva asked him, looking at the teenage chiropteran.

"Anywhere we want; there's a lot more to the world than just humans and their laws."

Out of instinct he buckled his seatbelt, which seemed to make Diva want to laugh for a moment before she mimicked him, if only to do the same thing her love had.

"We're completely free then?"

He glanced over at her and then looked straight ahead.

"Not _us_, but _you _are."

Her smile cracked into a frown.

"Why not you too?"

His hands went up onto the steering wheel and tightened until he could almost hear the material bending.

"I have a responsibility to carry out first. Perhaps two."

"Like what?"

"That man that shot Nathan and I, he's still alive, _isn't _he?"

Diva looked away from him, already knowing what he was getting at.

"Until he _isn't_, I won't allow myself to be happy."

"But why not? We're together-"

"Because I made a promise to Nathan, after I buried him; I would kill the man that killed _him_… and myself."

"I brought you back though."

He closed his eyes for a few moments.

"Yes. And I thank you for that."

"But this life of mine was born out of desperation; mine for being too weak to survive, and yours for not being willing to let me die. All of that built on the foundation of Nathan dying."

Neither of them did anything for almost a minute, and then one of her hands came up to touch his right one.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize; it's not like you. Besides, _you _didn't _kill _him; the people chasing _after _you did."

"But they came there for me-"

"Your _sister _is the one that's supposed to have the 'poor me' complex, not you. _Please_…"

He leaned forward, putting his forehead against the top of the steering wheel so as not to use the horn.

A moment later Diva's hand moved to his back and rubbed it; it was something she had most likely learned since her time with him, but those few days of happiness they'd shared which just passed them by seemed almost like a long-lost dream replaced by something else.

"Replaced by a nightmare." He thought.

"What about the other thing you wanted to do?" She asked, trying to get him to go to a less-painful subject; it worked.

Reeve opened his eyes and pushed himself up, his red and violet eyes glowing their own individual colors; they were neither like Saya's nor Diva's.

"This world of… _people_," He began, almost spitting the last word.

"I've gotten tired of it; all of these fools going through the endless processes, mindlessly following the will of the whole… it makes me sick. And I've run out of patience looking for others like me to make it more bearable."

Diva didn't know whether to feel happy that she was the only person he cared about, or worry that she might not even count to him anymore.

"I'll burn it all down; only a few hundred humans are necessary to keep the chiropteran species going. They're a food source _and _a 'talent pool' to choose for new chevaliers. After humans, or perhaps in the _process _of it, we'll get rid of that idiot that's so obsessed with acting like a human and all of her friends. Then, after _that_… maybe I'll be willing to give happiness a try again."

"You can still give a try _now _though; we can make Saya go away and then just all on our own, somewhere no one else will be."

"And _hide_? Hide amongst a world of filth that tries to erode whatever diamonds seem to form just because they don't like that the diamonds shine and that _they _do _not_? No… natural selection is the only rule no one will ever overcome, both on the individual level and the species level. And chiropterans _are _superior to humans; there's absolutely no reason to hide from them. We have all of _eternity _to be happy."

Diva pulled her hand from his back and looked down.

"Reeve, I'm going to be going to sleep eventually."

"You mean those thirty-year sleeps?"

"Yes. Not soon, but eventually."

"That's fine."

Her expression, which must have shown more emotion _today _than it had in the past few put together, showed a look of hurt.

"When you wake up, it will be like awakening from a nightmare, or a dream; everything and everyone that wanted to hurt you, or held you back from being happy… they'll all be gone. I'll be there to greet you when you wake up, and we can start living the way we began to together."

She looked down, away from him.

"But in the meantime you'll most likely get hurt, and I'll spend thirty years having nightmares about you being killed or captured."

His tone, which had grown optimistic, sank down to a monotone as he spoke.

"I'm sorry if it will cause you pain. I really am. But my life has changed; and I'm not going to deny my instincts; _my _instincts. Human or chiropteran, my name is still Reeve Roswell. And I _won't _hold back what I intend to do out of fear anymore. This arm is proof of the change."

He held up his left arm; it was the one which had gone through some sort of mutation as he became a chevalier. It's core looked black, like black bones. The skin meanwhile was almost opaque, but the vague glow of red and violet colors emanated from beneath the surface. They didn't shine, but they glinted, like a barely-lit candle fighting against the darkness.

The arm's skin was harder than before, and the bone structure was more pronounced. However, though it appeared more feral, it still resembled a human arm, and it helped give him a physical reminder of who he was, and what he wanted to do.

"I imagine that this sort of… thing, has never happened to a chevalier before." He thought out loud, drawing Diva's gaze to him once more.

She shook her head.

"No, it hasn't."

Reeve tightened his hand, the knuckles cracking on their own as he did so.

"I'm not superstitious; I never have been. But what if this mutation, or evolution, is a sign that things are going to _change_? I don't know if this arm is good for anything but an embryo's pyrotechnics show, but I _do _know that I can change things so that they're easier on the both of us."

A vague smile tried to make its way onto her face, though it looked like someone had draped a blanket over it, so that only the faintest of a trace of its actual form could be seen.

"So, when that man is dead, and all the people you hate are dead, then do you promise that we'll live together, just to be happy?"

"I swear it; on the life of mine that you saved and on Nathan's grave.'

The melodramatics fazed neither of them, as they were the source of it; their emotions were brought to the surface.

"Then drive us to Cinq Fleches' headquarters. There are people in the company that will help us."

He nodded, putting the car in reverse, though he still held a foot down on the brake pedal.

"Alright. One condition though." He spoke, looking over at Diva. When she matched his gaze, she saw him smiling and his face looked the same as it had when he'd told her once that they would be fine, and that nothing would hurt her; it was the Reeve she wanted him to remember he could be.

"Smile."

Her expression was one of shock for a moment, before she felt her face change on its own to meet his request, and her mind calmed.

"You're able to smile, even when enduring hardship; that is a strength few, if _any _other people have."

Reeve didn't bother to say "and I'm not one of them", since he knew it would dull her spirits.

"Please, just smile."

He looked over his shoulder as his foot came off the brake pedal and pressed lightly on the gas, his face changing back to its monotone expression.

"One of us should."

The statement lowered her optimism, but she didn't let her smile falter; it, like Reeve's transformed hand, was a promise and reminder of the life they would live.

Diva would hold what happiness of his that she could, and protect it until he was ready to be happy again. For all of her inexperience protecting others and their emotions, she _could _do _that _for him.

The fire that sprouted from the house gave their eyes an extra glow; it showed the determination in both their eyes to endeavor until this happy life that they talked about was ready to be a reality.


	30. Things have changed

Sorry I was a day late.

**_

* * *

_**

**_Protecting someone and caring about them are not the same thing. Or at the very least, they do not both necessarily suggest the other._**

_**Protecting requires no true emotion, it only requires physical action. Bodyguards protect celebrities and the secret service protects the president. It is their job to do so.**_

_**But **_**caring **_**about someone requires a much greater commitment. For you see, if you care about a person you are giving them part of your heart to hold on to. And if they die, that piece is burned slowly and painfully away.**_

_**One could argue that a bodyguard that has a part of their brain telling them to protect another cares about that person.**_

_**They would be wrong.**_

* * *

"These people at the pharmaceutical company's headquarters… are they your chevaliers as _well_?" Reeve asked her as they drove. There wasn't much else to do but talk. And they mostly didn't have much to talk about.

Diva was drawn from what amounted to a boredom-induced stupor, or rather silence, and looked at him.

"Yes."

"Their personalities… what are they like?"

Reeve asked the question for two reasons; the first was because if he was going to protect Diva from her sister and all of those wastes of space in the "Red Shield" it was common sense to know the members of the "team" he was going to be a part of. The second was because Diva's lack of having received love, despite having had "supportive" chevaliers suggested that they wouldn't help make her happy and the personalities that failed to make Diva happy were personalities that he wanted to watch out for.

Diva looked up at the roof of the car, as if trying to remember something from a past life.

"Well there's Solomon; he's always calm. Karl is a bit hard to manage and I think he's got a kill-thing for my sister. James is a sweet boy, but he can be a bit too serious. Nathan is fun and he helped keep me busy."

Reeve glanced at Diva as he continued to drive.

"There's another, isn't there?"

She looked down from the roof and looked forward.

"Amshel; he's my first chevalier and he controls all the different things."

As general as Diva's explanation had been, he knew that it would be this Amshel that they would have the hardest time with. He'd read a bit about the man in Joel's diary and immediately got the impression that he was nothing but an amoral selfish scientist-type. But he would also most likely be the most powerful of them all, both in terms of strategy and actual physical capabilities.

"That begs the question, however, that why hasn't he killed Saya yet?" Reeve thought.

Those heartless killer types weren't the most fun to have over at a party, but they also were more often than not ruthlessly efficient and if they wanted something done, it got done. And yet even though a "weak" human like Reeve had been could block a strike from her sword, she still wasn't lying in bloody pieces in a desert ready to be annihilated with a nuclear bomb.

"That must mean that he _doesn't _want to kill her. I wonder why." Reeve's thoughts continued as they followed the highway towards the building's general direction.

* * *

Reeve had been surprised when he first discovered that Diva was connected to Cinq Fleches. After all, it wasn't some single-story family-owned tiny little pharmacy located in the middle of the boondocks. It was one of if not _the _largest medical consortiums in the whole world. The resources they possessed just proved that much more that this Amshel character didn't truly want to kill Saya.

The building was massive as they walked up perfectly clean white-stone steps and towards the door.

"Diva, there is something I want you to do for me."

The girl wrapped one of his arms in both of her own and hugged to him.

"Anything for you, my love."

Reeve felt part of himself want to smile on this inside, but it wasn't a big enough part for its voice to be heard.

"I need you to act like you have all these years towards everyone else."

She still held onto his arm, but looked up at him with a confused expression as they continued to walk up the long steps and arrived at the door.

"I am a good judge of character, Diva. And though I have never met these other chevaliers you have told me about, I can already imagine what the fates of a few of them will be. It is evident that Karl will go insane trying to kill your sister if he's that obsessed with it and though James sounds like he cares about you, I don't believe he understands the true you at all. Solomon and Nathan are a bit harder to figure out but I know that this Amshel you've told me of won't like it if you have someone around that could make you want to leave them and go be happy somewhere else."

Her head tilted.

He made it simpler.

"If he thinks I'm a threat to the way you've been living for last hundred-plus years he'll likely attempt to have me killed."

"But only Saya-"

"There are a great many things that can kill you both. One just needs to be creative to become aware of what they are."

Diva's eyes showed a look of hurt as she looked at him.

"You've thought of ways to kill me?"

"Of course not. It was to find out ways to deal with _her_. But that is what I am talking about. They will not want a Diva who can become happy and distance herself from those that kept her from doing so."

She looked down at her feet.

"So you want me to hide my feelings."

"Humans do it all the time to avoid unpleasant situations."

"But we _aren't _humans. And you don't like them."

"And you _do_?"

"I don't _hate_ them."

Reeve was unsure for a moment if she was merely explaining her point of view, or criticizing his. But then remembered that Diva wasn't one to try and judge others.

"Diva, it all comes down to a matter of choice. Either you show your true feelings and risk me getting killed, or you don't show them and you don't risk it. Whichever one you choose is the 'right' one. But just be aware of the consequences of each."

She sighed, and lay her head on his shoulder.

"Things were much simpler when we were alone in your room. Or-"

"Things have changed."

Her eyes trembled, but he did not see it.

"Yes. They have."

The two did not talk anymore as he opened the door for them and walked over to the reception desk. The receptionist noted the two, most likely due to them being virtually attached to each other as before arriving her Reeve had gotten them clean clothes as well as washed away any bloodstains about them.

"Good afternoon, is there something you need?" The girl asked them.

They stepped up to the desk and Reeve looked into her eyes to make the connection solid.

"We need to see your CEO."

The girl almost laughed at the request.

"I'm sorry sir, but mister Goldsmith is a busy man. It is rather difficult for him to break his schedule just to see someone who wants to meet him. You could try to make an appointment if you'd like."

"Is he in a meeting or anywhere you cannot contact him?"

"Well, not at the _moment _I believe-"

"Then call him."

"Sir, please-"

"Call him, there is something very important to him which I must tell him."

Using the word "must" was annoying but if it got the girl to respond…

The receptionist still obviously didn't like the idea. But he could see she didn't want to make a scene out of this either. If Solomon was as calm as Diva said he was there would likely be no reason for the receptionist to fear for her job.

She sighed, and picked up the telephone, dialing numbers in and listening for the connection to be made. When it was she spoke to the man with the same "happy-helpful" tone she'd used with them, but toned it down. Perhaps out of respect.

Reeve could hear Solomon's voice on the other end of the phone and he did indeed sound as calm as Diva had made him out to be. Before the girl could begin speaking Reeve told her to describe Diva to him.

"I am sorry to bother you sir, but there is a young lady down here who wishes to see you. She has long black hair, pale skin, and blue eyes. She is with a young man as well."

"A young man?" Solomon asked curiously on the other end of the phone. He may sound pleasant but he certainly had a sharp mind not typical of optimistic idealists. It seemed that he wasn't quite as one-dimensional as Reeve had suspected. Then again, he doubted Diva would have made a "boring" person her chevalier.

"Yes. Mister?…" She asked Reeve, looking at him.

"Teh." He thought.

"Joel cavalier."

With the apparent sharpness of the man's mind he was sure Solomon would notice the significance of the fake, and relatively cheap name.

She began to repeat his name to the man before he told her he had heard it and asked her to send them up. Afterwards he hung up.

The receptionist seemed utterly befuddled, but managed to hide it behind her "happy happy!" face.

"Mister Goldsmith will see you now. He is on the top floor. Please take the elevator up."

He nodded and they walked from the desk across the lobby to one. His transformed hand tightened into a fist beneath the glove that he wore over it at the thought that this was one of the people responsible for this little "war" that had both kept Diva from achieving happiness and ultimately resulted in the death of-

"The result is what is important." He thought, contradicting he had tried to live his life until recently.

"The means are irrelevant. If you see a criminal behind the counter of a store, ready to sell you kerosene to burn a building down, it is better to take the kerosene before you kill him."

The elevator doors opened and the two stepped into it, Reeve pressing the button for floor fifty. The doors closed behind them as they turned around to face it, Riding up towards the meeting with Diva's chevalier.


	31. The first general

Starting next week, Waking Dream will be on hiatus for a while. I apologize for this, but I think it's better to tell those who read this that there will not be an update than to say there will be and just not put it up. I am not sure how long the hiatus will be but hopefully not too long. Once I have about five chapters ready I'll start posting them again.

* * *

_**The greatest threat is the one that you do not see. **_

_**Most claim to know this but when the time comes to deal with this factor those same people often end up losing either their happiness or their lives to this great threat.**_

_**In a war, spies and traitors can be far more dangerous than a large force of soldiers simply because you cannot fight what you do not know is against you.**_

_**The most thorough way to determine what and who are on your side is to evaluate each and every significant factor in the situation on a personal level.**_

_**It can take time, but then again, when you're trying to win an otherwise never-ending war, what's a little time spent to win it?**_

* * *

This man's office didn't try to hide his position. It was filled with designer furniture, equipped with a computer that likely hadn't been released to the public yet, the general layout of it spoke the designs of a popular interior decorator… hell, Reeve wouldn't be surprised if the _paint _were some kind of fancy coating made by some exclusive place somewhere.

Everything was kept clean, almost like an operating room in a hospital, and the light that beamed in through the crystal clear windows gave a natural version of those powerful lights surgeons used during said operation. The pens that stood in what looked like some kind of small golden trophy probably cost more than an average person's monthly salary and reminded him of surgical implements.

Still, it all seemed so… empty; hollow. Even the man's soft smile which he wore Reeve was unsure of. It wouldn't surprise him at all if the smile were just a front to weaken a person's guard.

Solomon Goldsmith stood up from behind his desk and looked at Diva as she and Reeve entered his office from his waiting room.

"Diva, I was worried about you." He spoke, his smile looking no more genuine.

Did he really mean it and he was just hiding his emotion? Or was Reeve's previous little hypothesis accurate?

Diva smiled back at him with a similar look, however, _her _expression was much more childish.

"Is that so, Solomon?"

He nodded and walked around his desk, coming over to them in his spotless white business suit.

"Gee, I wonder if he used to really be a doctor of some kind." Reeve thought sarcastically in his head with some amusement.

"Yes; we were _all _worried when we went to get you from your sleep and discovered that someone had taken you. We feared the worst…"

She gave a quick little giggle with her eyes closed before slowly opening them.

"Solomon, do you really have such little trust me?" She teased.

His smile seemed to grow more genuine.

"Of course not. I could feel that you were still alive. We all could."

Now that he mentioned it, Reeve could feel Diva's presence every single moment since becoming a chevalier. Even when they weren't around each other for a few moments at a time he could still feel her.

"I'm glad my boys didn't forget about me while I was away." She teased further.

Solomon's face changed slightly, as if he were going to laugh, but it soon returned to normal when he looked over at Reeve.

"So, 'Joel' are you the one I have to thank for bringing Diva back to us?" He offered pleasantly.

"If you wish, though to tell the truth the reason I brought her here is because it was the only viable option we could think of at the time."

"Really? Is something the matter?"

"There are some… things to deal with, but nothing that requires us to jump into a bomb shelter and lock down the entrance."

Solomon managed to laugh a bit this time, though it strangely sounded more than just a sociable reaction to his only barely funny statement.

"Yes, I am glad. I myself have had more than enough of that for my taste. What is your real name, if I might ask?"

"Reeve Roswell. Though I suppose the last name doesn't matter anymore."

"Because now you're a chevalier?"

His face tightened and Reeve made sure to watch what he said more carefully.

"What would give you _that _impression?"

He thought the man would mention how he knew certain "keywords" like "Joel" and an American name for "chevalier", but didn't expect the answer he gave.

"Because of your arm."

He almost scowled at the realization that he'd forgotten something as obvious as that. Though the glove and long sleeves that covered it would easily pass as camouflage in passing, he suspected the chevaliers could likely sense the transformation somehow.

"Do you mind if I see it?"

Reeve said nothing for a few seconds.

"Is anyone else going to be here soon?"

"No one that would see such a wonderful thing and be scared of it."

"So then _other _chevaliers are coming as _well_?"

"Of course; as soon as I discovered Diva was here I called them all. I am not sure who will get here first but it will take a while, regardless."

He gave a mental shrug before pulling the glove off and pulling his sleeve up a bit, revealing the diamond-like arm. The vague glow of red and violet seemed to capture the man's eyes for a few moments before he looked back up at Reeve.

"I don't know you very well yet, but if Diva turned you into a chevalier of her own accord I suspect she cares greatly for you. Because of that I wish to tell you that the gift you possess is something that will _greatly _capture the interest of my older brother. And his interest in something can grow to great proportions."

"You mean he'd cut it off and dissect it if he could."

Solomon managed another little laugh.

"I suppose, to put it bluntly-"

"No one will hurt him, Solomon, not even Amshel. Do you understand?"

His seemingly invincible smile was routed by a frown as he looked back at Diva. Reeve felt his breath getting caught at Diva's momentary objection from their agreement. As Solomon's smile flickered back on though his apprehension lessened.

"Of course, Diva. If we all know what it is you want we will never go against it."

She nodded and walked over to sit in a chair by Solomon's desk.

"You two have fun talking now." She spoke while pulling a gameboy Reeve had found for her at a flea market and turning it on. Though the newer videogames were a bit too complex to start her out with her interest could still be captured by a few good old ones.

"I see our Diva is getting more _modernized_." Solomon joked lightly, earning another little giggle from the queen.

"You might be surprised at how quickly she matures when there aren't things holding her back." Reeve commented, drawing Solomon's gaze once more.

Though the man's face did not change he knew the blonde-haired man understood exactly what he meant.

"I suspect that he doesn't very much care whether I change her or not. It seems he wants something _else_." Reeve thought, trying to imagine what it was that Solomon was really after.

"Perhaps I would, Diva is a very special girl."

"You don't know the half of it." He thought.

"So, about this problem you were talking about…" Solomon began, bringing up the subject. Reeve didn't have any problem with the change in subject and figured that at the very least Solomon would most likely be willing to help them with _that _problem.

"You've heard of the Red Shield before, I suppose."

Solomon's smile changed again, like he was remembering a funny memory from the past.

"I've heard of them, and a bit more."

"Apparently the 'once-noble' leadership they had is gone, and now there's some manner of military type running it."

The man's interest seemed to pique and they sat down on opposing couches in the room.

"I was not aware of that. Still, it is not really anything to worry about, I believe."

"You would be surprised."

Solomon blinked, allowing him to go on.

"Your smile and pleasant manner doesn't fool me; you're very analytical, or at the very least you possess the common sense that most others don't. You know that the only reason the Red Shield has been doing so poorly all of these years is because of their steadfast commitment to being 'good'. But a military is not _like _a _militia_; it is the _result _that matters, not the means."

"So you believe that now that they are not being run by their previous leader with good-intentions they will be more dangerous? That is a fair assessment, but Saya is still the only one that can kill us."

"You know that _that _is incorrect as _well_."

Though he continued to call Solomon on his dishonesties the man showed no signs of desperation or frustration. He was a calm one.

"This is the real world; there is always more than one solution to every problem. It just may not be as obvious. Indigenous tribes would often tip their arrows or blow-darts with poison of some kind, or perhaps an herbal version of an anticoagulant. If one were to think of things in a military manner, a single man that knows how to use a bow and arrow correctly could be a far greater threat to any chiropteran than a team with rocket launchers and other things like that."

"And why would that be?"

He knew the answer, he was just leading Reeve on.

"Saya's blood; that will kill Diva and anyone that has been turned into a chiropteran as a result of her blood. If it could be properly harvested her blood would be much more dangerous than just some girl who could cut her hand on a sword and be an instant-kill swordswoman. Arrows dipped in it, blades covered with it, pepper sprays, gas grenades, syringes, squirt guns… a _cup _of it you could throw into one's _face _would be lethal. And the only thing that's held back that kind of innovation is the lack of military expertise and knowledge with which to manipulate that factor."

Solomon's smile lessened somewhat; he knew how valid Reeve's point was and knew it was only a matter of time before serious weapons utilizing her blood became a reality."

"They could use her blood to produce chevaliers for no reason other than to fight and then give them weapons with her blood in or on them… I don't need to tell you how many different things could be done and the man in charge of the Red Shield's personnel and resources is both willing and _able _to make those things happen."

Solomon gave a light-hearted sigh.

"So what do you propose we do?"

"It's simple; we kill _them _before _they _kill _us_."

"And what of Saya?"

…so _that's _it.

Reeve continued as if he hadn't realized the man's true desire.

"When there is a deadly weapon your enemy is using against you that you cannot wield, and worst, a weapon that will intentionally come _after _you, there really is no other practical choice than to eliminate it."

The calm man was not smiling, and he did not respond as they sat there waiting for the other chevaliers to arrive.

"Reeve?"

He instantly turned his attention to her as Solomon stared out the window.

"Should I choose the fire lizard, the water turtle, or the leaf dinosaur?" She asked him.

He held back a chuckle and walked over to her and the chair beside her.

"Pokemon huh? I remember how addictive that game was when I was little. Well, it's easier on the first major fight if you pick Squirtle. The first two fights are comparatively easy if you use Bulbasaur, and-"

She leaned against him. Not too much that it would be evident how much she'd missed him just being a couple yards away, but enough to convey her affection.

Reeve betrayed a smile for a moment.

"Pick whichever one you want. I'll help you if you have any problems."

"Thank you."

Her tone was genuine. More genuine because she took the hidden meaning behind what Reeve had said.

Reeve nodded and fought to maintain his composure in the presence of the only person who could make him happy.

"You're welcome."


	32. Fraternal gathering

Okay, forget the hiatus. I have about two more chapters after this one ready and I'm working on a third so it shouldn't be an issue. Enjoy.

_**

* * *

**_

_**There are different kinds of people, just as there are different kinds of plants.**_

_**And just like plants, the varieties between people can be softly subtle or blazingly obvious.**_

_**To know how to deal with people you must first know what they are like. It is only after that when you can determine how best to respond and act around them.**_

_**Some are so light-hearted you'd think they thought life were an eternally funny joke.**_

_**Others are so serious you might wonder if there is anything in them other than gears.**_

_**Some are as temperamental as the weather.**_

_**But the ones to look out for the most are those that are computer-like, mimicking the knowledge of a hive mind while maintaining the individuality with which to utilize such knowledge.**_

_**And the world help you if such a person turns out to be your enemy.**_

* * *

Solomon hadn't talked to either Diva or Reeve the whole time they waited, though he didn't exactly day dream either; he walked back over behind his desk and continued working on whatever he had been busy with before they arrived.

Despite the realization that Solomon obviously didn't want Saya killed, he didn't get the feeling that this man now wanted to do nothing more than kill him. And that was a strange surprise.

Diva had continued playing her game and been doing pretty well, actually. She named the main character after herself and the antagonist after Saya and laughed whenever the rival showed up and started being mean to her because to Diva it very much reminded her of Saya. However, eventually they all heard the elevator arrive in the waiting room and Diva saved the game since she didn't know if she would do well or not once Reeve stopped helping her.

Reeve could tell that there was only one of them in the elevator at the moment, which was somewhat fortunate as he would get the chance to get an understanding of whoever he was regardless of which person it was. He just preferred that it wouldn't be Amshel; that man would _definitely _be the most difficult to deal with.

Another interesting thing was that he could feel that the approaching chevalier was different from Solomon, like they had a different kind of fingerprint. He couldn't tell who it was, but Diva obviously could, and she got up from her chair, running towards the doors.

Reeve got up as well and stared curiously at it as someone opened both doors dramatically and walked into the room.

"Yoohooo! Diva?!!!!"

"Nathan!" Diva shouted out in glee and hugged the blonde-haired man tightly, still holding her gameboy. He returned the hug and they separated.

"I see your beauty sleep worked out." He praised her and the girl got the closest he'd seen to blushing in… a long time.

"Oh Nathan, you're always showering me with compliments and praise." She spoke affectionately.

"But of course! And you deserve each and every one."

She fidgeted in embarrassment before looking over at Reeve to change the subject and gesturing towards him.

"You haven't met Reeve before, Nathan. I want you to meet him."

"Well, alright then." He receded in happiness.

Though Reeve regularly wore a frown, he felt his mind give its equivalent of one as he wondered if this man was truly the way _he _seemed _either_. Though at the very least he seemed to care about Diva to an extent.

At first Reeve was beginning to think that Diva had completely forgotten how to act like she usually did, but perhaps this wasn't so out of the usual for her.

"This is Reeve." She instructed the flamboyantly-dressed man, though it was obvious since he was the only new face amongst them.

"I see that." He spoke with amusement.

"How do you do? I'm Nathan Mahler."

"Reeve Roswell."

Nathan leant down towards Diva and whispered something to her, like Reeve couldn't hear what they were saying anyway. Perhaps he was unaware that Reeve wasn't human.

"Quite the stout and serious fellow, isn't he? James has some competition."

Diva giggled and Nathan laughed a bit before he stood up straight again.

"I have a _reason _for my seriousness, mister cowboy boots."

Nathan tilted his head a bit and then his face shifted, making him look like he was going to laugh again, but he held it back.

"But a bit more playful. I like that." He told her, to which she nodded.

"He even _smiles _on _occasion_." She teased.

"Really? I can't wait to see that."

Reeve sighed.

"I guess this is the man that has kept her from dying of boredom all these years." Reeve thought.

"Oh my, are we upsetting you?"

"Don't worry, I'll make it up to him tonight."

"I see. Mind if I tag along?"

Diva giggled again and Reeve felt a wave spread out across his mind, like when something falls in the water and sends ripples out; it didn't shake his resolve really. Rather, it just made him a bit happier in respect to the situation they were in. He'd thought by doing this Diva would have to go back into an environment lacking any form of true caring but at least this man doted some affection on her.

"It's almost like people with that name _have _to be 'better people'." He thought, wary not stray too far onto that subject.

Nathan looked over at Solomon and waved to him.

"Hello Solomon."

Solomon smiled back at him.

"Hello, Nathan."

"Working hard as usual I see."

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

"That's too bad. You should take a break once in a while."

Nathan frowned; that seemed to give him an idea.

He reared around and took up Diva's free hand into his.

"We should have a celebration party! To celebrate you coming home to us safely!"

Diva smiled down at him.

"Doesn't that sound fun?"

"Yes, Nathan. It does."

He nodded and looked over in their direction.

"What do you two think?"

"I'm all for it. I would love an excuse to be able to take a break." Solomon offered.

Nathan nodded again and looked at Reeve in specific.

"How about you?"

"Won't you have a hard time setting up without the others here?"

"Oh, don't you worry about that."

Reeve still didn't answer, thinking over scenarios of what could happen in his head.

"Please, Reeve? I really want to."

He looked past Nathan, at Diva, who was frowning helplessly and giving him a "puppy dog" look.

"Damnit." He thought.

"Sure. If that's what you want."

She dropped the act and Nathan turned around so that they could celebrate their victory.

"Wonderful! Now all we need to do is wait until the others get here and we can tell them all about it!"

"Speaking of the others…" Reeve began, noticing the presence of another person ascending in an elevator. It only felt like one more person and he hoped, though he didn't expect, that everyone would arrive one at a time so that he could properly analyze their character.

"So _that's _what they're calling it now." He heard a familiar voice say inside his head.

"Shut up." He thought back to it, fighting back a laugh.

"Is something funny Reeve?" Diva asked him, drawing him out of another imaginary argument.

"No. Not at all. I was merely wondering if you were going to use your powers of persuasion to sucker whoever is _coming _here as _well_."

She feigned offense and looked away.

"My, such a mean word to use 'sucker'." She teased, somehow with a serious face.

The feeling he got from the approaching man felt much harder and more stern than he had when Nathan had arrived. If he had to guess he'd assume the man that was coming would be-

Diva placed the gameboy on a coffee table and positioned herself near the doors which Reeve noticed had seemed to either close themselves or swing shut after Nathan made his dramatic entrance.

Just as the doors opened she let herself fall backwards towards the floor, holding back a giggle.

A blue flash dipped forward and then there was a man wearing a dark military uniform holding her in his arms above the floor, the girl breaking out in laughter.

"It's always nice to know my James will catch me when I fall." She teased the newly arrived man.

The small bead of sweat which had formed on his dark-skinned forehead seemed out of place on the man, like a drop of oil sliding down the side of a battle ship. Luckily it soon rolled downward and out of sight as he helped her stand up.

"We were very worried about you, Diva." He informed her, his tone as solid as his demeanor.

"I know. I am sorry you were worrying about me."

He seemed surprised and once more Diva's sensitive attitude made Reeve believe she'd forgotten the act again. But then she burst out into laughter upon seeing the change in his expression and the girl ran over to the coffee table she'd place the old game system on and continued playing her game.

A small sigh was breathed out from his mouth as he moved his head to face Reeve; it was barely noticeable and he doubted most would have been able to even tell this man was _capable _of sighing. His exterior seemed as hard as the battleship he'd just likened the man to. But obviously he wanted to protect Diva as well.

"The question _is_ does he protect her because he _cares _about her, or because his DNA or instincts tell him to?" Reeve thought.

This man seemed very capable, and undoubtedly was or had been in the military. If he were on their side then they would have a valuable ally, though he wouldn't try to depend on anyone but himself, just so that he wouldn't make any mistakes.

"You're the new chevalier Solomon told us about?" James asked, his tone no less or no more stern than when he had been talking to his queen.

"I am."

"How long have you been with her?"

"I see." He thought. This man, despite how strong he seemed to be, was very easy to figure out.

"Only a week or so. Why?"

"Why did you not immediately bring her here?"

"I didn't want to."

Just as James was about to say something, he added something else.

"And neither did _she_."

He thought he saw a dent of hurt form in the man's resolve, but it was soon repaired and he kept himself calm.

"I see. Very well then, if Diva did not want to return yet then I'm sure it was best that she remain away for as long as she did."

"Good boy." Reeve thought. James obviously cared about her on an individual level, more than just his instincts. He'd be easy to manipulate if it were necessary but Reeve would prefer not to. After all, it was almost like a child wanting to be with its mother the whole time.

"Amshel and Karl shall arrive soon. Then we can decide what to do."

"About what?" Reeve asked, not raising his tone to show his curiosity.

James looked straight back at him, staring him straight in the eyes.

"About _you_."

"James…" Diva began. Reeve knew where she was going.

"Do what you want." He told the man, no childish mocking behind his tone but no hint of backing down and accepting whatever judgment they may find either.

A few more moments of silence continued on. Then Diva turned on the volume for the gameboy.

"Oh, here it is."

The old-school battle theme broke up whatever serious atmosphere there could have been and Nathan took the chance to step in.

"James, we are planning to have a party to celebrate Diva's return to us. What do you think about that?"

James turned his attention to Nathan, though it didn't seem like he enjoyed the action a whole lot.

"It would depend; we cannot announce it publicly. That would give our enemies too great a chance to utilize a surprise attack on us. If it were a private one, then you will still need to get permission from big brother."

Such a childish phrase seemed out of place being spoken by James, and the simple way to refer to the man he knew was Amshel just went to show how simple and complete his control really was.

"Oh don't you worry about that. I'm sure he'll approve."

To an _extent_ anyway.

As if summoned, he felt another- _two _other chevaliers rising towards them. One of them felt chaotic to an extent, almost like an insane opera manager or the like. While the other…

"I thought so."

There was nothing, other than just a cold feeling. It was the kind of personality that he'd expect from whatever leader of this group there could be. The presence reminded him of some sort of scientist that cared nothing about anything but himself and his experiments. Which was ironic because from what he could tell that's more or less what Amshel _was_.

The elevator arrived and soon after the doors opened. A man wearing Chinese garb with long black hair walked into the room and positioned himself relatively in isolation. The _other _one however…

Reeve narrowed his eyes and looked at the man that stood in the doorway, as if disallowing anyone without permission to leave.

"Ah, Amshel, Karl, I'm so glad you could get here so fast." Nathan greeted them lightly.

However, both the scientist and the newest chevalier were staring straight at each other, ignoring everything else for the moment.

Diva frowned.

"Oh dear. Reeve, is this one of those 'boss battles' you told me about?"


	33. War council

_**Views and opinions collide, there are disagreements over how to handle a situation, as well as personnel and resources. **_

_**It requires quite a bit of maturity to actually hold one together if you do not have a strong leader to help decide things. And those same leaders can also be a **_**blight **_**on the council.**_

_**However, such discussions must take place in order for a plan to be set forth. And in the end it is the **_**result **_**that matters, not the means by which you achieve them.**_

* * *

They broke eye contact and Amshel took a brief glance around the room to make sure everyone was present.

His eyes fixed on Diva and he walked over to her, kneeling down in front of the girl who had set aside her game for the moment.

He took her hand and gazed up at her.

"You came back to us." He stated.

She smiled back at him.

Her lack of a response only seemed to amuse him and he stood up once more, now gazing down at _her_.

"It is interesting to see you wear something out of the usual." He commented on her dress, which actually looked like it had been designed to be worn in this century.

"Isn't it? Reeve picked it out for me."

"Is that so? Such fine taste."

She closed her eyes and her smiled widened, making her look more childish than usual.

"Then again, _anything _would look absolutely stunning on you, my dear."

She started to giggle when he turned his attention elsewhere, and she resumed her game-playing.

"We are very grateful that you brought Diva back to us." He spoke directly to Reeve, though it felt like the man was more going through a formality than actually thanking him.

"Well we had some problems that we weren't really equipped to deal with." He responded, making sure to neither sound offensive nor cowardly. This man was like driving test instructor; if you gave him even the slightest crack of confidence he would take a sledgehammer to it.

"Problems? Of what nature?"

Solomon saved him the process of having to tell the rest of the men the whole issue by summarizing it.

"The Red Shield is under new management. And the new leader of it is quite a more objective man than the last one; our new brother was telling me that everyone of those humans could become more dangerous than Saya, now that they will likely attempt to use her blood in other ways."

Amshel thought about that for a few moments, as did the other chevaliers who had only recently heard of it.

"Now that I think about it, there are a myriad ways the humans could utilize Saya's blood, if they had the proper guidance." James added.

"And no doubt, that if this new leader you've spoken of is as you say he is, that will likely happen." Karl commented as well.

"What do _you _think, Amshel?" Nathan, asked the man, still a small smile on his face.

"I had heard the last head of the Goldschmidt family died unexpectedly recently, but I did not know that the Red Shield would replace him with another leader."

No one else spoke for a few moments.

"This is definitely a matter which requires some attention. However, they are still only human and the new 'administration' likely does not have the available resources to start mass-producing her blood."

"Should we really take that chance?" James asked. He wasn't contradicting Amshel; they all knew that this wasn't a matter that you could take your time with.

"Do not worry, James. Our plans have begun to proceed to the greatest level and we cannot afford to have the Red Shield become any more of a nuisance than it already is; it is time we removed that old thorn from our side."

"How do you plan to do that?"

The question did not come from James, it came from Reeve.

Amshel looked back at the young chevalier with a look more like a hunter analyzing its game than an ally focusing on his friend. Though neither of them had any illusions as to being even _close _to the _second _one.

"We have no idea how pure the blood has to be in order to kill us; they could put it in a half-filled _water bottle_, dump it in a reservoir, and have droves of usable substances for all we know." He spoke, not raising his voice but making sure that the energy and frustration came out with his tone nonetheless.

The statement seemed to amuse Nathan, and even _Solomon _a little, but he had a point; none of them honestly knew if the blood had to be completely pure or not.

"I admit, he has a point." James added, though Reeve doubted the man enjoyed agreeing with him.

"This whole time it has only been _Saya _that we had to worry about. We don't know if her blood must be pure or not to kill us. If it _doesn't _we could have an entire army of people with the capabilities to do so."

Amshel still looked at Reeve, in thought. Though he didn't know what about.

"Such unpleasant topics. It is unfortunate that things are escalating as they are." Karl commented.

"Let's not be too quick to act. Initiative is important, but if we focus too much on speed it could dilute the efficiency of our efforts."

"What shall we do then?" James asked.

Amshel finally drew his gaze from Reeve, though he didn't fix it specifically on anyone else.

"First we will investigate the nature of this new leader of theirs, as well as their capabilities. They may have the _money _to purchase the equipment they need, but they cannot make it appear out of thin air; if they are trying to purchase such equipment we will be able to find out."

"And what if they are?" Karl asked.

"If they _are_… then I suppose we will just have to clean them up before they can learn how to evolve their little strategy into an actual force."

"Big brother," Solomon began.

"Would it not be to our benefit to persuade Saya to come to our side? If the Red Shield does not have her cooperation then they will not be able to reproduce her blood."

Reeve gave a mental sigh. It seemed that Solomon was beginning to get desperate; he was showing his desires a bit too much. Reeve didn't know if there was some manner of cover he had built up to hide his "interests" from his "brothers" but it was rather doubtful Amshel did not already know the mans' feelings.

"Taking the time to turn her to our side isn't practical." Reeve interjected.

"It isn't beneficial to go through the timely process of swaying her allegiance if we can just kill her and get the same result; if she dies and we dispose of her body in a way that there will be nothing left, the Red Shield will not have her as a weapon, _or _her blood."

He could feel the disappointment the statement gave Solomon, but he knew that Amshel would have said more or less the same thing were he here or not; the only "benefit" to having Saya be on their side as opposed to killing her was that it would be a peaceful alternative. And considering that this was a form of war, and there weren't any real politics involved, peace had no practical application whatsoever.

"He's right; we simply cannot take the chance that Saya will cooperate with the new administration of the Red Shield. She must be eliminated." James concurred.

Amshel still had not spoken for a minute or two when Karl offered to be the one to kill her.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. It may not be entirely impossible to resolve this matter without killing her." Amshel spoke. The statement surprised all of four other men active in the discussion but those that showed signs of surprise soon abandoned them.

"But Amshel-"

"As I said before; do not worry James. We will deal with this little problem as quickly, as well as efficiently as possible."

"I see, so you're trying to make it seem like you want a peaceful resolution, huh? How sneaky." Reeve thought.

"The specifics of our plan will be discussed once we have more information on our enemies."

He turned to look at Reeve again.

"Does the Red Shield know where you fled to?"

The remark almost made him scowl, but that would mean giving in to the man's taunt.

"When we left there was no one alive to see us, nor anyone that I know of to follow us. But that doesn't mean they don't know at _all_."

"I see. Then I will have to make sure we get the necessary information gathered quickly."

Amshel began to leave when Nathan chimed in, halting his exit.

"Yoohoo! I was wondering, Amshel, would you mind if we had a little party to celebrate Diva's return?" Nathan asked energetically.

Considering the situation, Reeve estimated what answer Amshel would give.

"Not at all. Our beloved Diva deserves a party to commemorate her arrival."

And Reeve was wrong.

"What? Why would he feel that way?" Reeve thought as the man resumed his exit of the room.

"I'll leave it to you to organize, Nathan. Try not to get too carried away."

"No promises there." The man responded cheerfully.

James followed shortly after him, obviously eager to do anything he could to strike down Diva's enemies.

Karl waited for a few minutes after the other two had left to leave as well as Nathan began arranging for the party.

Solomon resumed his work like the meeting hadn't happened and Reeve walked over to Diva, who still seemed heavily involved in her game.

"Are you finished now?" She asked.

"Yes. Sorry if it took too long."

She shook her head as her character encountered another enemy.

"I don't mind. I'm used to all of their little talks."

Reeve almost laughed but decided it wasn't worth it to crack his shell at the moment.

"Hey, do you want to get out of here?" He asked her, revealing a bit of his warmer personality to her and causing the girl's head to snap up and for her face to beam at him.

"We can go do something, get around… you know."

Diva nodded her head eagerly and got out of her chair.

"Are you leaving?" Solomon asked them, to which Diva responded with an enthusiastic "Mhm!".

"Please be careful, Diva. We don't know where Saya is."

The childish girl shrugged and walked away, as they left Nathan called after them.

"Diva, dear! Make sure to come back to us sometime soon or call me so we can set up a date; I want to go all _over _the details for your party with you."

"Alright." Diva responded, not as much eagerness in her tone but still some interest in it as they walked through the waiting room and back to the elevator.

"So, where do you want to go?" He asked her as the elevator doors closed, the normal music overshadowed by the battle theme playing loudly from the gameboy.

"Hm… oh! I know! I want to go sing!"

"Sing?"

"Yes! There is a very nice theatre in this city that I like to go to to sing."

"What is the name of the theatre?"

"I don't know. But I can point it out if we drive by it."

"Alright then. I guess we're going to the theatre."

She nodded and leaned against him, abandoning her act.

* * *

I thought I'd mentioned when what stories would be updated but I guess I didn't. The update day for this story is Wednesday.


	34. Ally

_**Strength is strength.**_

_**Whether you hate someone, love them, are their enemy, or their ally, all have varying strengths and weaknesses.**_

_**Perhaps the greatest weakness of all is being completely alone. As if you fight the world on only your own strength, you will inevitably lose merely by a battle of attrition.**_

_**You need allies if you want to win a war.**_

_**But those allies must be strong. You cannot afford a great amount of weakness when fighting a war.**_

_**All armies need generals. And more often than not, you need a general before you can have an army.**_

* * *

The theatre she'd been talking about was a pretty old one. It must have been here since around the time the city was originally made; the architecture spoke of a time when quality and aesthetics were more important than quantity and speedy production. All of the wood on the inside, as well as the solid doors through which they had entered, were "real" wood; not some plywood crap.

Reeve looked about the theatre from an aisle and saw that while it wasn't as big as the Metropolitan Opera house or anything, it was certainly large enough to hold whatever audiences could come. The ceilings were naturally extremely high, and there was even a decent-sized balcony on the second floor.

The stage's wood looked like it had been replaced a bit more than the wood throughout the rest of the theatre, likely so that performers did not just fall through old rotted chunks, and though they were stained to be the same color, if you looked hard enough you could still tell what were the original wooden floorboards and what were newer.

On the first floor Reeve would guess there were about two hundred seats, with probably another one-hundred and fifty up in the balcony. The material of the seats looked soft and appeared to have once been cushy, but had been flattened out and the color had worn from a bright red to a beaten burgundy over the many years of use.

The curtains seemed to have received more or less the same treatment, though they looked a little newer since people weren't constantly putting stress on them.

Reeve could see, with his inhuman eyesight, a catwalk high above the stage around which lights were positioned.

Diva walked past him, down the aisle, as he finished his observations.

"This is an interesting theatre."

"It's nice, isn't it?"

"It has a lot of character to it. There is personality here that isn't in modern buildings. It is almost as if it is alive."

She almost giggled, but she didn't.

"I've come here ever since I found it about ninety years ago, I believe."

They both walked down the aisle towards the stage, their footsteps echoing in the dark and empty theatre.

"I can understand why."

She smiled deeper and hopped up onto the stage with a cute little sound of effort he estimated she mostly made to tease him.

He grinned internally while sitting down in the chair in the front row closest to where she now stood on the stage, facing out at the entire hall.

Diva's gaze drew down, and caught him as they both smiled to each other through their eyes.

She closed her eyes and opened her mouth.

Reeve noticed immediately that it was not the same song. The general rhythm was the same, and he could feel semblances of the original left in it. But he noticed, with a happiness he wouldn't allow himself to show to the world, that her tone and _feeling_ now held no semblance of sadness within it.

He couldn't tell what she was singing exactly, but it didn't matter; for her to be able to sing the song so well and have so much energy behind it, she must have genuinely changed enough for her emotions to shift completely.

Diva was singing out of happiness.

He closed his eyes as well and drowned in the song as it enveloped him. Every cell of his body tingled, no doubt due to the chevalier factor, but he could feel his _emotional _heart responding far more than his tingling muscles or glowing eyes.

The moments and verses seemed to fly by and he had no way of telling if the song was the same length, or much shorter than before. Nevertheless, the finale where her voice rose to its heavenly pitch, and the wave of feeling her song had sent crashing down on him receded, and he opened his eyes. Diva did so at the same time, and they stared into each others'.

Then they heard someone yell Diva's name from the entrance to the theatre hall.

"You must be kidding me." Reeve thought rhetorically as he stood up from his seat and turned around to look at the person who had called out her name. Sure enough, it was everyone's favorite delusional girl with a sword.

Reeve saw Saya, as well as who she assumed was her chevalier, that man, David, and another person around his age that he did not recognize at all.

"Well, now, aren't you a bit too immature to be carrying something that sharp around?" Reeve asked the foolish girl who had obviously come here to attack and kill Diva.

She seemed to ignore his mocking as she walked down the long aisle, unsheathing her sword.

"Please leave. I can't hurt a human and you'll be in danger if you stay here."

"Ignorant little twit. She makes these big statements and she doesn't even realize I'm not human anymore." Reeve thought as he got between the two of them, though she was still very far away.

"So… 'you can't hurt a human' eh? Does your naiveté extend all the way up to the moon or something? Because there must be an awful lot of it for you to believe some nonsense like that. You've hurt countless people, and not just those who you went berserk on in that Vietnam outburst you had."

Saya's flash of surprise suggested that she didn't know he was aware of things like that.

"You think because you didn't actually cut them apart or suck them dry that you aren't the cause of anyone else's death? Don't be a fool."

"You don't know anything about our situation!"

He scoffed and laughed at her simultaneously, staring into her eyes.

"You're so simplistic it doesn't take a genius to figure it out. You've got a 'poor me' and 'I'm the world's savior' complex as well as the emotional maturity of a _six _year old. Your body may have stopped aging at sixteen, but your _mind _hasn't matured since you were a little kid."

She glared at him and prepared to bolt for the stage when his expression changed and he glared at her with a fury motivated by the pain he'd felt while having to first watch his friend die and then bury him himself.

"And if _Diva _is so horrible than how come it was _your _side that killed my brother?!" He spat, his calm professor-like voice changing to that of a person's who was motivated by nothing but revenge.

The shout stopped her in her tracks as his glare continued.

"You and your ignorant friends like to pretend you're 'good'! But there is no such thing as that in the real world! There are only opposing sides! And even if there _were _such a thing as evil it would likely refer to those who won't give a girl the chance to be happy, or allowing their supposedly noble organization to kill someone that had nothing to do with the war they'd started!"

Through the stone-set face the blonde soldier David wore he knew the man was feeling guilty over what happened and the person his age seemed to be grasping what he was saying as well. But he knew that like all other fools, this girl wasn't going to be awakened by reason.

Reeve honestly wished there were a peaceful way to resolve things with ignorant people.

"I'm… sorry about your friend. I had no idea the Red Shield had caused a death like that."

His eyes narrowed.

"'caused'? It was your 'Red Shield' that _killed _him. They didn't _cause _someone else to do so; one of the members just shot him, and that was that."

Her astonishment at the realization that the supposedly kind-hearted organization she had allied herself with was killing human beings shook her quite a bit, and seemed to stun the girl completely for several moments. However, upon another's arrival, she drew up a battle stance once more.

Reeve felt a chevalier descend from the catwalk above the stage and walk to the edge of it, next to Diva. He could virtually tell who it was by the solidity and rigidness of the footsteps; it sounded like a semi-relaxed version of a soldier's march. But it was when the stone-set tone spoke that he knew for sure.

"That is enough talk, Reeve. This girl will never understand Diva's situation. Nor will she ever grow mature enough to realize the true consequences of her actions."

Reeve glanced back at James Ironside, who stared past him at Saya.

"Get Diva out of here. I will cover your escape."

He didn't like being ordered around, but it was a welcome help.

Reeve spun around and jumped up onto the stage, looking Diva in the eyes and then running in sync off the side of the stage to a staircase which would lead to the catwalk above.

"Why are we running, Reeve?"

"She doesn't know yet that I'm not human. I want to maintain that element of surprise as long as I can, if possible."

He heard James condemn them to death like a solemn judge, and then heard his transformation into some manner of beastly form just as they reached the catwalk.

Reeve told Diva to stay at the edge of the staircase, in the shadows, as they observed the upcoming battle.

As he'd heard, James had _indeed _transformed; his new body looked like a greatly oversized gorilla with the facial characteristics and appearance of a bat. His skin looked harder than steel and judging by the size of those arms he had, getting punched by one of them could probably level a tank or something even bigger.

David and the other guy, both who had guns, had positioned themselves in the two corners of the theatre opposite the stage, and were firing futilely at his impenetrable body as Saya cut her hand on her blade and ran towards the stage as quickly as she could, her chevalier following in close pursuit.

As the bullets ricocheted harmlessly off of his iron hide Saya leapt up onto the balcony and swung her sword down at him all in one movement, aiming to bisect him down the middle. However, he rose one of his thick arms and blocked the attack, grabbing her around the torso with the other and tightening his grip enough to make the girl cry out in pain as her bones could be heard straining against the strong force.

A thin dagger flew into one of James' eyes and was likely the only thing that kept the girl from getting crushed into a pathetic pile.

James only grunted in pain, and pulled the dagger from his eye with a squelching sound before dropping it to the ground, the glowing red orb already repairing itself. But they knew already a place where they could strike him that would be vulnerable to her sword.

Saya and her chevalier fell back as Reeve noticed the two men reloading, the main lights of the theatre flashing on and blinding James for a few precious moments, as they were all aimed down at him. However, though the lights were all aimed at the transformed chevalier, Reeve still saw some color glinting off of the rounds the men were loading into their guns; a strange reddish shine.

"Incendiary rounds?" He thought.

James brought his arms up to shield his vulnerable eyes from the light and the weapons, but as Reeve heard the men closing their guns' respective cylinders and clips into their guns he knew there must be something they had prepared for this.

Sure enough, when the men began firing again, chunks of the man's supposedly impenetrable hide were blown off, causing the man's altered voice to grunt out in pain with each shot that revealed more and more wet and vulnerable muscle for the red-eyed girl to strike with her sword. And she seized the opportunity. James had no chance of evading her attack with his large, cumbersome body, and he couldn't even see where she would strike.

She lunged into the air and swung down with her sword, some of her blood flying from the blade and splattering on the stage as the sharp metal struck down on the chiropteran's vulnerable tissue.

A loud sound filled the theatre as the blade struck, and the gunshots went silent.

Saya stared wide-eyed as the diamond-like hand gripped her sword in its palm, already grinding the blade dull where it held the thing. Red and violet glow faintly on the sword and reflecting slightly in the girl's gaping eyes as Reeve tightened his grip and cracked the sword apart completely, the force of it sending the tip flying, spinning, in the air, before it plunged down towards the same arm, bouncing harmlessly off of it.

As the wounds on James' arms healed and he drew them away, even _he _gave a gasp of surprise. But Reeve's attention was on nothing but the girl's eyes.

"This is what your little vigilante mission has resulted in; my brother and I died as humans, and that 'monster' of a girl you think you have to kill so much saved me for no reason other than to bring me back to life."

Her eyes trembled as he let go of her sword and the thing withdrew back towards her in the air.

"So now you know."

The diamond arm jutted forward and though she blocked with her sword, it went straight through the weapon and caught in the side of the face, shattering her skull and grinding her skin as the chiropteran queen was sent hurtling into a row of seats.

"Saya!" Her chevalier called after her, only to have the same diamond-like arm which had wounded her so greatly grip him around the neck, obviously drawing his attention back to Reeve.

"Too soft." He remarked, suddenly tightening his grip and snapping the chevalier's neck before throwing his limp body over near its master's.

Reeve could hear the gun-wielders gape in surprise at how they had both been defeated in seconds, but then again, Reeve wasn't fighting, he was getting rid of threats.

They fired their guns and he used his mind to predict the trajectory of the bullets after he would block them before doing so, sending the explosive rounds up into the walls above the men and sending chunks of plaster and wood hailing down on them.

As the rubble crumbled down Reeve turned away, gazing up at Diva who stood on the catwalk, holding the railing tightly with her hands. They loosened up when she saw that he had beaten everyone and he flashed her a smile, before moving his gaze down to James, who had managed to regain control after the surprise of having his life saved by someone he'd thought hated him.

"I think it's time I filled you in on a few things." Reeve spoke seriously, knowing that they would have a true ally after this was finished.


	35. Plans

This is another hiatus watch. I know it's only been a month or so since the last one, and I apologize. I'll try to get it going again as soon as possible.

* * *

_**Combat assets are only as strong as you make them; the most hardened war veteran in the world won't survive very long if he's in a room made of plywood with the enemy outside surrounding and nothing to defend himself with.**_

_**You must give them weapons, transportation, training, and, perhaps above all, intelligence. For with no knowledge of their surroundings someone's possibility of succeeding diminishes considerably.**_

_**Of course, when your asset already has weapons, transportation and training there is only the intelligence part to worry about.**_

_**And if enough intelligence is gathered a plan may be formed. And **_**that **_**is when the mission **_**truly **_**begins.**_

* * *

After they left the theatre, James followed Reeve and Diva in his own car to an old bar somewhere deep enough in the inner city that he doubted any other chevaliers would happen to pass by, and far away enough from the core that they wouldn't have people trying to kill or mug them every five seconds. Though for all he knew, that could just be a stereotype.

"Not that it really matters one way or another; unless they have a chainsaw I don't see them kill any of us." Reeve thought as he and Diva got out of his car, with James pulling into the parking lot close behind them.

He didn't know if the man would be able to hear him from his car, but Reeve decided it wasn't a big enough deal if he could.

"Am I right in assuming that James is more committed to you than he is to that little fraternity of chevaliers?" Reeve asked Diva, who giggled in response.

"Yes. He's a sweet boy, he is just a bit stiff."

Reeve almost gave a laugh to that but decided against it.

They stood near the door to the bar, drawing stares from the various people about the area. Some at them, and some at Reeve's car.

The building was old, not as ancient as the theatre but definitely a lot older than _he _was. Above the doorway hung an old sign simply stating "the establishment". He liked it; the title was simple and modest. To be honest that was one of the reasons he'd decided to come here instead of go to some high-class café uptown; there was character to these areas.

They heard solid footsteps approaching them and knew James was getting close.

"I don't understand why you insisted on bringing Diva here." He protested, though his tone was no different than usual.

"No other chevaliers will just happen to be nearby, and I don't like my bartender, waiter or anything else to have a fake smile molded out of a beaten personality." He responded honestly.

"Besides, the music here's better." He added, opening the door to the bar and hearing blues wail out at them from the confines of the establishment and walking inside. Diva followed shortly after him, inevitably accompanied by James.

The three of them took seats at a table, and waited for someone to come to them.

"What is it you wanted to tell me about?" James inquired, not one to "walk around" the point.

"The way things are going right now, I don't believe that this Amshel guy that's the boss of everything even _intends _to kill Saya, or otherwise try to make her incapable or unwilling to kill Diva."

James' features tightened more than usual.

"What do you base this on?"

"Think about it; he has all the resources of a CEO of a monopoly spanning entire _realms _of business. And he can't kill one weak little girl with a few friends? With not even one percent of his money he could like buy enough grenades to blow her into so many pieces she wouldn't even be _able _to heal. There are numerous ways to kill her, and most if not all of those are available. So why hasn't he?"

James didn't retort, and seemed to go into thought a bit.

"I'm not sure what he's got to gain by letting her live; maybe he's waiting to use her blood for something… like I said, I don't know. But one way or another, I at least know _one _thing about his motivations; they're for _his _sake, not ours _or _Diva's."

James looked like he wanted to sigh, but of course the man did not; a battleship does not show the enemy how it deals with the stress of sailing through the ocean, and James Ironside does not show the stress of having to walk through the world.

He looked at Diva.

"Diva, do you believe what he believes?"

"Reeve cares about my happiness. He's the one who has helped me _become _happy; I trust whatever he says."

James moved back in his chair, he did not lean. To a man who was so accustomed to her usual personality, it would have been all but oblivious of him to not realize the drastic change in her character when she would make such a statement.

"Diva's desire is my duty to carry out. And if she agrees with you, then I will help you in whatever way I can."

Reeve almost laughed at the suddenness of the man's cooperation.

"Well, that was easy."

"Don't mistake me; I'm not saying I agree with any plans you may have, but if Diva truly desires what you do, then I will fulfill your wishes regardless."

He grinned at the man's practical mindset.

"You're quite a soldier, aren't you?" He asked seriously. James only gave him a solid stare at that, which _did _prompt him to laugh a bit.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, I just didn't think I'd find a chevalier that actually gave half an _actual _damn about Diva, I mean Solomon's so obsessed with her sister she might as well have him on a leash, Karl's the same but it's like if the dog on the leash wanted to tear your neck out, Nathan is just… well you know, and Amshel is to be honest, just a plain old douche."

"Diva, you're sure?" James asked her, obviously not accustomed to this manner of talking.

"What? People aren't allowed to use offensive words anymore? I may be a recently-turned _bat_-monster but I'm _still _a _person_." He thought with some humor.

Diva snuggled against Reeve's shoulder, giving him a silent answer.

"So what do you intend to do?" James asked him as someone finally came around to their table.

"What'll you have?" The waiter asked, Reeve didn't even bother to examine the person.

"Water." They all responded, almost in unison.

"This is a bar, sonny. That guy over there looks alright but you and your girlfriend need to get out-"

Reeve slapped a hundred dollar bill down on the table.

"Water, and keep the change." He repeated with some "encouragement".

The waiter shrugged and took it, walking away.

"First of all, we have to make sure that whatever we do, Amshel doesn't realize what is going on until it's too late for his efforts to make a difference."

"You mean killing off the other chevaliers before he can use _them _to kill _you_."

"We're in this together my stalwart general." He joked.

James was about to inform him of his actual rank when he continued.

"All we have to do to deal with Karl is wait for Saya to show up and sick him on her. Either he'll die, she'll die, or they'll _both _die. _Or _I suppose they could just weaken each other… either way, it won't matter."

"What about Solomon?"

"Have a personal dislike for him, do you?"

"If he is indeed so obsessed with Saya, then he deserves to die more than any other chevalier."

"Perhaps, but even if he _does _it may be to our advantage to _let _him go over to Saya's side and fight against Amshel. It may even make him assume it's _Solomon _plotting against him."

"Nathan?"

"I think we can leave him alone. He seems more enamored with the human world and the music and the like than he'd be able to care about the war."

"Don't let his disposition fool you, he is a powerful chevalier."

"Still, I don't see him being a steadfast soldier of Amshel's. If _anything _he'd likely end up being on _our _side."

"What are our plans then?"

Reeve gazed up at the ceiling as the waiter came and went, leaving their drinks behind. With a grin he looked back down at the man.

"This party Nathan's setting up; we can arrange for Saya or someone associated with her to get a ticket or invitation to it, and let Solomon and Karl do as they will. Then they're out of the game just like that."

"What if they fail to 'fit into their roles'?"

"Then I suppose we'll kill them. With Saya being there we'll even have the perfect explanation."

James waited a few moments before asking his last question, the air seeming to become more filled with smoke at the coming subject.

"And how will you get rid of Amshel? He's the strongest of any of us."

Reeve had to think on that one.

"Well, short of inviting him to a baby shower in the Nevada desert and dropping a bomb on his head, it'll be a tad more difficult dealing with him."

"So, there _are _some things you don't instantly know."

"No one's perfect."

"Diva is."

Reeve chuckled, and hugged the girl that had continued to embrace him.

"There isn't a single person or thing in this world that can't be ridiculed by _someone_. That's the way humans are. Regardless, I'll figure up something. We've still got until after the party."

"In serious plans you don't take the chance of waiting for a certain opportunity."

"Sometimes you do."

"Not when Diva's fate could hang in the balance as a result of the chance taken."

"If we fail to do this, _we'll _be the only ones in danger of dying. _I _can handle dying, how about _you_?"

"Without a second's hesitation."

He nodded.

"If the cause is great enough."

"Well don't worry, if he realizes what's going on prior to its completion I'm likely the only one who'll-"

"Don't say it."

He blinked, and looked down. James had not been the speaker, it was the girl who now held him tightly enough that his arm's sleeve threatened to rip.

"I don't want you to die." She explained, her usual "bubbly" attitude gone.

"If he's going to kill you for what you're going to do, I'll kill _him first_."

"Diva…" James spoke, surprised she was responding this deeply to a mere mention of Reeve's possible death. Let alone saying she would kill the person she'd known the longest.

"I told Solomon, and I'll tell you _too _James; if anyone tries to hurt Reeve, I'll kill them. No playing. No eating. _Killing_."

He felt a desire to sigh, but couldn't manage to. On a level he was glad Diva was maturing emotionally to the point where she could actually comprehend death in its entirety, but at the same time it felt like a little bit of her purity was dulling. Just barely, however.

"I understand. I will do my best to save you from that pain."

Diva smiled at James, a rare "true" smile as far as the committed soldier knew.

"My James…" She spoke affectionately.

"Thank you."

He nodded.

"Of course, Diva."

None of them really spoke for a few more minutes as they occasionally drank a sip of water here and there. Ultimately it was James who broke the silence.

"If there is nothing else you wish to discuss and nothing else Diva wishes to do, I believe we should return to Solomon's office and meet with Nathan. The sooner the preparations for the celebrations can be completed the sooner the party can happen and the sooner our plans can get underway."

Reeve nodded and looked at Diva, who closed her eyes and smiled.

They all stood up and left the building, heading to the respective cars. To be honest, with how expensive his was, Reeve was surprised it hadn't been stolen or broken or whatever. He wasn't interested in stereotypes but expensive things tended to disappear in places where people were poor. Not that there was any reason to assume the people who had nothing really would _not _steal something if they truly wanted it.

"So, are you looking forward to the party?" He asked Diva as they got into the car.

"Maybe…" She spoke, sounding like she was teasing him. He gave a lighthearted sigh and looked at her, smiling.

"What do you have going through that unique mind of yours?" He asked with humor in his voice.

"I would look forward to it a lot _more _if you were to _accompany _me to it."

He was a bit surprised, but only just barely, and it was pleasant surprise.

"I planned on going already."

She shook her head, putting a hand on one of his.

"I want you to go to the ball _with _me, as my companion."

His eyes began to widen for a moment, and he saw the same hesitation appearing on her face as he used to when she'd first been with him, but he made sure to suppress his surprise before it could upset her too much.

He smiled.

"Of course I will."

She smiled back at him and lay her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Reeve."

He shook his head slowly and started the car.

"Don't mention it."

They pulled away from the curb, and she thanked him again.


	36. The party, the love

_**There is more to life than just goals and ambitions.**_

_**Many people become enslaved by their desires, to a point where they are no longer acting on their beliefs, but merely being led around by their desires.**_

_**Still others are determined to be **_**free **_**of desire, something which ultimately leaves you as nothing more than an empty shell, whether done out of the pursuit of spirituality or otherwise.**_

_**Few people in the world can see all of the problems, all of the **_**flaws **_**in it, and yet have something in it that they genuinely care about. For it is only slightly more difficult to see the problems in the world and become obsessed with them, than it is to not see them at all.**_

_**For those that find themselves empty on a daily basis, it is because that is all they have in them; the truth. But truth is not enough for someone to live on. It never has been and never will be.**_

_**To truly live, you must have something more. Something, or some**_**one**_**, in whom you can see what purity in the world that you otherwise never witness.**_

* * *

The ball was everything Nathan had promised it would be; it was big, luxurious, and entirely meant to celebrate Diva's return.

It had taken nearly two months to put it all together, and in that time many events had transpired which would likely have a significant impact on Reeve and Diva's lives, but that was after tonight.

Reeve and Diva had managed to keep up her act, though she seemed to be having a harder time continuing it the longer they went on, and from what he could tell, Amshel did not know what he and James were intending to do yet.

"Then again, he could be aware and just not be _showing _it." Reeve thought.

But he'd promised tonight to Diva, he wouldn't be obsessing over how to kill this chevalier and turn that one over to their side tonight.

The main ballroom, and it was exactly that, was gigantic and reminded those who had actually been alive while they were still in major use of those ancient times. Lively music played for guests and hosts alike to dance to and the floor's shine was almost as great as that of the chandelier that hung overhead, illuminating the entire room on its own.

Though there were other rooms in the house aside from the ballroom, bathrooms and closets and even the basement could be accessed from this single massive room, so none of the guests strayed from the area of attention.

Amongst them Nathan danced, either by himself or with an invisible partner, to the music just as the others did with their real-life partners and the man's dancing spectacle amused Solomon somewhat, who wouldn't miss this event for the world as he'd heard that Saya was invited to it. He was slightly worried that it was all just a trap to kill her, but knew that Nathan cared more about a magnificent party than he did about killing their "lethal enemy".

Karl was lurking somewhere as well, from the stories Reeve had heard of him, no doubt upside down in a dark corner of the ceiling somewhere with his "phantom of the opera" garb on.

James was, predictably, waiting for Diva to make her entrance, as was Reeve, though he knew, unlike James, that she would be "appearing" shortly.

They had gotten their clothes for tonight several days ago, and Diva had to be persuaded each day not to put on the dress and save it for tonight. Fortunately, she had remained patient enough to do so.

Reeve was wearing the typical tuxedo, as he didn't really care as to how he was dressed, not to mention he was used to wearing these damn things whenever he'd "had" to go to a party of his parents' before when he was younger. To be honest, he'd been hoping he would never find himself in one again, but since she'd been so involved in them being "special" tonight he had gone through the comparatively minor inconvenience to help make her happy.

Though she had initially wanted them to both arrive at the same time, Nathan had eventually persuaded her to make her appearance on her own, so that he could "properly prepare the audience for her debut" as he'd put it.

In pure dramatic fashion there was a tall, elaborate staircase from which the most prestigious of all guests appeared from, and it was there that Diva would appear and descend before they could truly enjoy the night.

Reeve checked his mental clock and counted about nine-thirty or so, realizing that she should be appearing any moment.

"So, are you waiting for our queen's appearance like everyone else?" He heard a teasing voice speak from behind him.

He felt a lighthearted sigh in his mind at the thought of how similar in certain ways this man was to his friend as he maintained his composure.

"Queen makes it sound like I revere her as opposed to _care _about her."

"Oh, I _see_." Nathan remarked, his dancing coming to a stop as he came up beside Reeve and put a hand on his shoulder.

"So, how would _you _describe her?"

His eyes clouded over with images, both moving and still, of her.

"Pure." He spoke, his normally stern tone softened up a bit for the word.

"Mmmm. A _fine _choice. It fits her beautifully."

From a tiny microphone Nathan had on his collar, which was so quiet likely only the nearby chevaliers could hear, the three of them heard someone announcing Diva had arrived and was entering shortly.

"And now for the _true _party." He remarked, sliding himself away and his hand off of Reeve's shoulder as the music faded away momentarily and the lights faded slightly.

"Excuse me everyone! Can I have your attention please?" He asked the whole room, which easily turned their notice to him since the music was halted.

"In just a few moments the young lady whom this ball is dedicated to is going to be appearing from the main staircase. When she arrives I ask that you all give her a round of applause, thanking and rewarding her for being the center of this special night. Her voice is a gift from the heavens, and her beauty a miracle of nature. Ladies and gentlemen…"

His smile shifted as the doors opened and Reeve sensed something coming.

"Diva Rockwell."

His eyes widened at the combination and she appeared in the doorway, smiling down at the room.

Her hair had been combed for the occasion, and he noticed, with some surprise, that she was actually wearing some makeup. Her skin color appeared as cool and soft as always, and somehow her eyes seemed to shine even brighter than usual. Her dress wasn't blue; it was violet. A subtle black floral design was patterned across the whole gown and the thin straps which held up the sleeveless dress showed more of her fair skin.

Across the entire hall people erupted in applause, all of them baring witness to her unnatural beauty. But Diva didn't hear it. Nor did she _see _it. He knew that. The grand ball room, its chandelier, shiny floor, guests, chevaliers… everything.

Reeve knew that she didn't see any of it as she descended the staircase towards the room. Nor did he. In the few moments which they continued to remain apart as she came down the steps the only thing that existed to them was the other, both looking into each other's eyes as they longed for their reunion.

Diva reached the floor, and walked to him staring up into his eyes with a smile and a look in her eyes he may have only seen once so far, for all the time they'd spent together.

"You're…"

Reeve tried for several moments to come up with the right word, but eventually gave up, knowing there wasn't one that could describe her.

"You're beautiful." He spoke, the emotion in his tone saying what the word could not.

She drew her hands to her chest and grew closer to him placing her hands on his shoulders as they moved into the center of the ballroom, the two oblivious to the rest of the people moving out of their way as they did so.

They stared into each other's eyes as music started up again, and they began to dance with one another. There was no style to their dance, no form; they simply danced, the two's bodies communicating in an extrasensory way as they contoured to each note with each other.

The music changed; it quickened and slowed, grew chaotic, and then peaceful, and they matched each and every note, never losing eye contact. It could have been minutes or hours for all they knew, but each second was more valuable and cherished by them than any other, until at last the music slowed down to almost a lullaby, and they did little more than rock back and,forth.

They whispered, as the final note was played.

"I love you, forever." They spoke to each other, finally drawing away but not apart.

She put her head on his chest as they slowly made their way to an elaborately-designed couch and sat down on it.

The party continued as it had before, but despite them both being well awake, neither of them paid any heed to it. Even when James came over to the couch to stand beside her, she didn't notice. They already had exactly what they wanted at this party; the rest of it didn't matter to either of them.

So they continued to sit on the couch, enjoying each other's company, until a man whom Reeve didn't recognize approached them. Though James didn't seem to recognize him either, he didn't appear all that willing to allow the man near Diva.

"What do you want?" He asked, his military-etiquette tone not a smidge different for the occasion.

The man had brown hair, and was wearing a tuxedo. He didn't really stand out as anyone important. However, it looked like he at least had something meaningful to say.

"Excuse me, but a young lady asked me to tell you she would be waiting in the dressing room near the basement entrance. And…"

He looked at Diva directly.

"She requested that you go alone."

Reeve sighed; it didn't look like this was going to be the beginning of their "nothing-but-happy" life after all.

"I understand. Thank you." She informed him, the man bowing before departing.

Diva began to rise from the couch alone, but Reeve immediately rose with her.

Her smile changed slightly to show what approached humor, and she shook her head softly.

"Don't worry; I'll be fine."

"We both know who that 'young lady' is." He responded, trying to keep harshness out of his tone.

"Yes, but I don't believe she intends to hurt me."

His eyes narrowed, some confusion showing in them.

"What do you mean?"

She closed her eyes and placed a hand on her chest, where her heart was.

"I can feel her here. And I can feel what she feels; I would know if she was intending to attack me tonight."

"But-"

She placed a finger on his lips, reminding him of "simpler times".

"Trust me, Reeve. Please?"

He still wasn't sure, but he simply wouldn't bring himself to go against her wishes if she were asking him like this.

"Alright. But promise me that if she _does _try that you'll get away from her."

She almost laughed as she brought her hand down.

"Alright."

Diva momentarily turned her attention to James.

"That goes for you _too _James; I expect you to leave my sister and I be."

He didn't seem much more comfortable with the idea than Reeve did, but relented.

"If that is your wish, Diva."

She walked around the side of the room until she was barely visible through the crowd of dancers. Then she opened a door and entered it, closing the door behind her.

* * *

The door closed behind her softly, and she looked at her sister, who was facing out the window of the room, the shade drawn away.

The room wasn't well-lit, it was sort of lazily lit, but it was more than illuminated enough for Diva to pick out her sister, and the sheath she held in her left hand.

She was wearing a pink dress which seemed more modest than Diva's, but nonetheless was very beautiful. It suited her.

"Good evening. I hope you're enjoying the party." She spoke to her sister casually.

"Diva…"

Her sister turned around, facing towards her, showing the hilt of the sword in its sheath.

"We have to talk."


	37. Not our war

_**Unfortunately, sometimes you simply can't change things. Sure, you can do all that you can, and even change yourself for the sake of another, or a relationship.**_

_**Relationships, and commitments, however, don't have to change just because you do; a war of hate won't cease just because two soldiers in it, no matter how high ranking they are, cease their hostilities.**_

**_So what do you do when you can't make things change? Do you kill those who are in your way? Do you kill _yourself_? Both of those options are viable, but they don't solve anything. Really, all you can truly do when things are beyond your control, is accept it and keep hope in your heart that someday things will change, and that someone else can accomplish what you don't know how to._**

* * *

"You want to talk? That's uncharacteristic of you." Diva spoke, the mocking tone most people would have vacant from her tone.

"Things have changed… so much since before."

Diva's head tilted slightly.

"What do you mean?"

Saya looked at her sword, and her gaze looked that of someone who had driven a car for many years, and then saw the car in a new, darker light. Much like someone who had been driving a sports car which their friend had died in during a careless night of driving.

"It's just… I don't know what I've been doing this whole time. Not anymore.

"Something happened?" Diva asked curiously. Her lack of concern, something typical of the girl with no upbringing, switching Saya's attitude slightly.

"The red shield has changed. A lot."

Diva wasn't very interested in those people. She didn't like them; they killed Nathan, who had been nice to her, and was Reeve's best friend. And, more importantly, they'd hurt _Reeve_ and tried to kill _him_.

"You mean that jerk that hurt Reeve?"

Saya looked surprised, but nodded.

"Him… and who he brought along with him; things have changed so much…. But before we talk about that I want to talk about you and Reeve."

Diva gained a bit more enthusiasm for the conversation on that note. Especially since her and Reeve's relationship was being acknowledged.

"Sure, what did you want to know?"

"Are you serious about him? Or are you just learning to draw out your 'hunts' more?"

Diva frowned; it was her version of a scowl.

"Reeve is not food to me, Saya." She responded, as serious as her twin. If at least only for the topic. The fact that she was being serious was more than enough to convince Saya of her honesty, if for any reason it had been in doubt.

"So you seriously care about someone?"

"Yes."

Saya searched her eyes to make sure, but they seemed to believe what they found, and she placed her sheathed katana down on a vanity table before facing her sister again.

"Tell me, Diva, what happened at his house?"

"Why do you care?"

Saya almost recoiled at her sister's response. But it was due to the tone with which she spoke it; had her sister spoken with a tone of spite or hate, like most people would, Saya would have felt more "comfortable" with it. But, as things were, the fact that her sister asked her the question with a normal tone, as if they were discussing something not out of the ordinary, was more shocking to her.

"I've learned that things aren't as one-sided as I had been led to believe."

"So now you care about me?"

Once more, Saya showed signs of hurt.

"I always have."

"When you were trying to kill me?"

Saya looked down in shame.

"Yes."

Diva didn't say anything for several moments, and Saya began to believe that her sister wasn't going to cooperate, but then her sister spoke up.

"Those people from the red shield came and attacked us. They were after me."

"They were trying to kill you?"

"No. They were trying to take me away."

Saya's face showed more confusion now than anything else.

"But Reeve wouldn't let them. Even though he was still humans and they had guns, he still fought them, and he was _winning too_. But then that _man_ appeared and shot him. After that the other people… hurt me."

"They 'hurt' you?"

"They cut my neck and then they forced me to mate with them."

Saya's face drew back slightly in disgust; it was the first time she had ever seen her sister make that kind of face.

"You mean they _raped _you?!"

"If that is what it is called."

Saya's face lost some of it's disgusted expression at Diva's casual talk of the "activity".

"Doesn't that bother you?"

"It wasn't the first time. The time before that was actually when Reeve and I met."

She looked down at her feet and smiled again.

"He saved me from them and then took me to his home. He took care of me and was really nice to me, when I was healing and _after _that _too_. It was the first time a human was nice to me…"

"Diva…"

"Even after he found out about what I had done, he still cared about me, and he didn't treat me like I was a…"

She frowned again.

"A monster."

Saya didn't say anything, knowing it wouldn't comfort her sister.

"After that, Nathan, Reeve's friend, showed up and he saved us; he hurt the bad man and it let Reeve stop the _other _bad men from hurting me. But then Nathan was shot and…"

"What happened Diva?"

Her eyes trembled as she looked back up at Saya.

"Reeve changed. He ran after the man like he was an animal, until he ran out of blood and went to sleep. He wasn't breathing."

Saya seemed to understand now.

"That's when you turned him into a chevalier."

"I didn't want him to die! _He _didn't want to die!" She told Saya, stepping forward.

"We were happy together and then your red shield came and hurt us!"

Saya didn't offer anything in her defense, and waited for Diva to continue. But that was all she had to say.

"I'm not a part of it anymore."

"You're not?"

"No. It doesn't stand for what it used to stand for. Now it is just people trying to make money off of our war."

"'war' hm? Saya, I never considered it a war; I was never trying to hurt you."

"You're right. It wasn't a war; it was my mission to kill you and all other chiropterans."

Diva's eyes narrowed.

"So is that why you came here? Because I will tell you now Saya, you will _not _kill Reeve."

Saya shook her head.

"No, I don't want to kill people anymore."

It was Diva's turn to show a look of surprise.

"People?" She thought.

"You may not be human- _we _may not be human, but we're still people. Before I thought that we had no right to hurt humans. But then I realized that _no _one has a right to hurt _anyone_, whether they be human, chiropteran, or anything else."

"So you _aren't _going to try to hurt us?"

"No, I won't."

She began to get a bit of her smile back as she walked towards her sister.

"You mean, you want to be my sister again-"

"But I can't just live with you like nothing's happened, Diva."

Her smile vanished once more.

"I still have a mission to carry out, and that is to kill chiropterans that hurt humans. You've changed; not completely, but enough that I know now that you won't hurt people again. Not as long as he is with you. I will continue to kill chiropterans to protect humans. And once all of those chiropterans are gone, _then _maybe we can begin to have a life together."

Diva looked down at her shoes again.

"But that red shield group… they're making weapons and things that could kill me, and Reeve too."

Saya didn't seem surprised by the statement of fact.

"I know. I'm not sure how, but I'll stop _them too_; it's become corrupted since that man took it over. I can't let it continue to deteriorate like it is."

"So then you…"

"I'm sorry Diva, it may not be your war, but I'm a part of it, and I can't just abandon it so that I can be happy while others continue to suffer; until the war is over, we can't live together."

Diva didn't say anything; she just stared down at the floor, wishing things could be different.

* * *

Reeve stood, his back to a pillar and his arms crossed in thought as he waited near the dressing room door.

He hoped that Diva didn't get the impression that he was "breathing down her neck" but he still hadn't been sure of Saya's position, or intent.

"How ridiculous; I'm now an ever-living immortal, capable of punching out Sylvester Stallone with a pinky, and yet I'm still stuck in a damn twilight novel's worth of all this vampire angst." He thought, keeping track of his musings and the condition in the dressing room both at the same time.

"Curious, isn't it; the sisters' interactions." He heard a voice ask him from behind.

"Damnit." He thought, turning around to face Diva's "head chevalier".

"Amshel; I _thought_ I felt the room grow colder."

A chuckle came from the man's throat, but he didn't so much as open his mouth for it.

"Reeve, despite your age, you seem like a very… mature-minded man. So I think it is time that I 'filled you in on a few things'."

* * *

A day early, I know, but I figured that since I've fallen behind on another story I might as well give those that read this story I little present.


	38. Hell's Ball

_**The truth is all that there is.**_

_**In the end, once you get past people's selfish opinions and views and everything else, you get down to the emotionless, unbiased truth.**_

_**Some people can't handle the truth; they kill themselves when they realize it or lose their mind.**_

_**Others are even weaker; they can't even see the truth, let alone respond to it.**_

_**For still others there is nothing **_**but **_**the truth, and the realization of it enlightens them to the absence of any true meaning in the world.**_

_**But, sometimes a person living in the truth delves into another realm, knowing the truth and yet putting value in a relationship with another. For these people, the possibility of truth and happiness are both possible. **_

_**But as with everything else, there is also a downside; if your source of happiness were to die, or worse still, **_**turn **_**on you, then the truth might as well not be there at all.**_

_**It is then when you are left by everything, **_**abandoned **_**by everything.**_

_**It is then when you face true despair.**_

* * *

His eyes narrowed.

"You don't say."

"Come with me, there is something I want to show you." The man spoke, walking to the basement door and opening it, revealing a staircase that seemed to go down quite far into the ground.

Reeve glanced at the dressing room door before deciding to follow him; he wouldn't afford this man finding out about their plans. And if he already _had_, then for the _success _of those plans the man would "have" to be killed; better sooner than later.

He followed the man to the door and closed the door behind them as they descended the long staircase down into the basement.

"What do you think of the party?" Amshel asked him as if in passing.

"Nathan certainly has a flare for this sort of thing. It definitely makes sense that he's in charge of setting up these little get-togethers."

"Yes, the arrangement of extravagant parties seem to be part of his nature. And it is hard to go against one's nature, especially when they are so gifted at it."

"That's why even though you're not human anymore, you've continued to remain a scientist?"

"Yes; I find science to be the only constant in my life, regardless of time or place. Aside from _Diva _of course."

He added the second sentence like he was remembering a favored microscope he used in experiments or something.

"And what of _your _nature, Reeve?"

His eyes narrowed once more as their footsteps echoed throughout the long stairway.

"What do you mean?"

"In the time that you've spent among us, you have already managed to repel Saya once, gain James' trust, and somehow change Saya's position on the whole war. I find myself wondering if your 'influence' is related only to your intelligence, or if that arm of yours has aided in it."

"Perfect." He thought.

"So essentially you're saying you know everything there is to know about me?"

"Not necessarily. Though I _do _know a few important details." He spoke as the stairway seemed to suddenly end at a door.

"For instance, did you know that the timeframe in which a deceased human can be turned into a chevalier is much longer than merely an hour or so?" He asked, opening the door and walking into the room on the other side, Reeve close behind him.

"I don't see how that has any bearing on myself."

"But it _does_." Amshel responded as the room "opened" up in front of Reeve's eyes; it was a huge room, perhaps almost half the size of the grand ballroom, though it was predictably not as elaborately decorated, with only grey walls, ceiling and floor.

There were huge vats running in a row on the left and right sides of the room, their size too great to be able to see what was within them. However, from the smell that permeated the room, and the faint red light that came off of the substance within them upon contact with the harsh ceiling lights, Reeve was willing to wager that it was all-

"Blood." Amshel spoke for him, continuing to walk straight across the large room.

"But not just _any _blood; Diva's and _Saya's _blood."

"What? How could you get Saya's blood? Let alone in such great quantities? Unless you-"

"Merely managed to get hold of a sample of her blood and replicated it into plasma on a large scale? Yes, it is not all that difficult of a process, if you think about. The only challenge was making sure that their blood did not lose their unique properties when mass-produced in plasma."

"And you wanted to show me this… why?"

Amshel seemed amused as she turned around, and for the first time Reeve noticed a large capsule on the other end of the room.

"I wanted to unveil our plan to mass produce chevaliers to you; you see, the current mass-produced chiropterans have little-to-no intelligence while in their true forms, and while in _human _form, they aren't even aware of their existence as chiropterans. True chevaliers, on the other hand, are powerful and able to utilize their abilities and nature to the greatest extent. However, their individual personalities make it difficult to produce an effective fighting force since you can't be sure of their actions or intents.

Reeve stopped walking across the room, but Amshel continued doing so, walking towards the large capsule.

"With the red shield's acquirement of Saya's blood, we cannot afford to take on the humans any longer with those gorilla-esque imitations of true chiropterans."

"So, they already have it?"

"No doubt; if _we_, here _enemies_, could manage to get a sample of it, it's mere child's play to realize the accessibility of her blood to an organization which she was a part of for several years."

"So 'fight fire with fire'; the humans are trying to produce weapons utilizing Saya's blood to kill us, so we mass-produce chevaliers to combat them and their improved weaponry."

"Exactly, I _thought _that you would catch on."

"But you said it yourself, both kinds of chiropterans have pros and cons; neither is really fit for building an army or anything like that."

The bubbling of the blood in the vats reminded him of the sounds of a mad scientist's laboratory, with tubes running every which way, carrying neon-green fluids throughout a maniacal path to reach their destination in some manner of scientific cauldron.

"Yes, but that is _individually_. Tell me, if you want to produce a tall child, what do you do?"

Reeve sighed at the elementary question.

"You get two people of tall stature to mate, to have _sex_, and the child, through the process of combined genetics, will naturally tend to be taller in stature."

"And that is not the only time that such methods can be used. With the evolution of science in recent years, it is becoming entirely possible to produce whatever manner of person you would prefer, if you only know how to do so."

"Altering the mass-production chiropterans and chevaliers to take advantage of the perks of both?" Reeve surmised.

"Not exactly, you see, that process involves a much greater involvement of time and effort and, as is most important in the human world, _money_. It is much more cost-effective- much more _efficient_ to merely find a way to control a chevalier's actions."

"So you intend to find out how to brainwash a chevalier and control them somehow?"

Amshel made the closest thing to a scoff Reeve suspected the man ever had or would.

"'intend' to? We already _have_." He stated as the man reached the capsule and turned around.

The capsule, a tall cylindrical construct about the size of a grown human male, had a mirror-sheen and monitoring equipment on either side of it, apparently monitoring the heart rate and such of whatever subject was in there. There was a small, perhaps Plexiglas viewing window about head-height, but even with his improved chevalier senses, he still couldn't tell what was inside.

"You see, it is much easier, and much more desirable, to merely sedate a chevalier to the point where its _mental _level is regressed, but not that of its body. And then, using a method of control, at the moment merely a remote, one can control all of the focused, destructive power of a chevalier."

At the close of his sentence, the doors, before invisible due to a seamless seal between them, opened up and dropped a small wave of what appeared to be milky water down on to the floor, a tiny drop of it reaching Amshel's shoe.

Within stood a human, or at least a humanoid _figure_, clad in a black cloak and some kind of face-covering helmet. All Reeve could tell of it was that the thing, most likely a chevalier, was about his height. Then again, that wasn't saying much, he wasn't exactly a short person.

"With the ability to turn anyone into a chevalier and then control their actions, a _homeless _person could become an effective, nearly-invincible soldier who would never deny his or her orders.

Reeve wasn't intimidated, if that's what he was supposed to be.

"So why bring me down here and tell me all of this? What's the point?"

The room seemed colder than it actually was. It only made _sense_, however; the two men's gazes were cold enough to freeze a glass of water.

"You and James seem to be very busy, recently." Amshel stated, speaking true of his suspicions that the man had known. He had just been biding his time.

"Yeah, what can I say? Variety is the spice of life, and you've been using the exact same spices for… what? Over a hundred and fifty years now? Your little mixture is too bland."

"Well, then. If you wanted something to 'spice' up your life, you need only ask."

Amshel put a hand in his pocket and then pulled something out, three guesses as to what.

"Engage." He spoke, the sedated chevaliers head suddenly looking forward.

There was a blue flash, and the "soldier" disappeared amongst one of the rows of vats.

The monitoring equipment beside the capsule made all manner of electrical wailing and beeping, which only served to vie for his senses' attention. But it wasn't enough to keep him from concentrating. The soldier was quiet, but it wasn't armed, from what he could tell, and as long as he could keep his head from getting cut off he knew he wouldn't be killed.

A blue flash darted at him from the left row of vats, and he side-stepped, dipping his body down and supporting himself on an arm as he twisted diagonally and swung a leg up towards the masked helmet that the thing wore.

He heard a smack sound as his foot connected, but not with the mask; the chevalier had blocked with its hands, and positioned them, one on his foot, the other near his ankle.

"Joint-lock." He thought, twisting his body again and repeating the same motion he'd done before with the other foot.

Reeve felt the hold on his first leg release and the chevalier retreat as he stamped a foot onto the floor one after the other so that he would end up standing back on his feet.

He glared at Amshel, who was now accompanied by the unnamed chevalier soldier; apparently he'd given it an order to retreat.

"Impressive little toy you've got there. But it isn't worth much if it can't even manage to give me a bruise." He mocked.

"A bruise, perhaps, but you hopefully won't have to sneeze anytime soon."

Reeve was confused for a moment before he drew his gaze towards the handkerchief that was typically worn with the suit, seeing the top half of it lying on the floor before even having to look at the tattered fabric that remained in his pocket.

"Heh, well there you go." He commented, looking at them again.

"So what's your motivation? Cut my head off and then take my arm so you can use your fisher price doctor set to experiment on it?"

"Not quite. While your arm _does _exhibit interesting properties, for interfering in our world I have something much worse planned."

"Heh, I _knew _you were gay."

"Enough jokes. It's time you learned actions have consequences."

"You're one to talk; considering you've _had _no consequences for your actions for a hundred years or so now."

"Engage and destroy."

From behind the mask Reeve knew two red eyes flashed and the soldier rushed him, moving in a bee-line towards the chevalier. Reeve did likewise, and then at the last possible second leapt to the side.

It should have caught the enemy off-guard, but as if it had been programmed with the same strategy, his enemy had done likewise, and he ended up retreating to avoid a strike to the neck.

"How the hell did it know that move?" Reeve thought as he landed on the floor and glanced at the vat to his side.

"Better to get it over quickly than drag it out." He thought, jumping up over the vat and landing on the lip of the thing, his enemy mirroring his movement shortly thereafter.

"I wonder which sister's blood was used to make this thing?" He thought, unable to tell whose blood bubbled beneath them.

"I guess it doesn't really matter, but still-"

The enemy leapt across the vat towards him, and grabbed the man's dress jacket in mid-air, twisting them both around before kicking him down towards the vat of blood.

A fifty-fifty chance was fair, but he didn't like to gamble; Reeve stuck his hands out and grabbed the edge of the vat, holding himself from falling into the blood below. It would have been impossible for a human, but then again, he _wasn't _human anymore.

He pulled his body up until he could rear his legs close to his body and kick up at the still-descending enemy.

Reeve very nearly got the thing's helmet again, but like before it flashed away before he could make contact.

The chevalier used his momentum to flip off of the vat and land on the floor once again.

Amshel remained standing in the exact same place, watching over the exhibition with a smirk.

"So tell me, which bum did you scrape off the streets to kill me? I hope at the very least it used to brush its teeth."

The man gave no response, and he sensed something behind him. He ducked just as a pipe swung through where his head used to be.

Reeve put his hands on the floor and kicked out, finally catching the enemy with a kick to the shin.

It showed no pain, but then again, he didn't expect it to.

He moved his other leg towards it and used them as levers to pivot his enemy's legs and draw to the floor.

The soldier dropped the pipe and freed its legs from Reeve's feet, turning the face-first collision into a flip that brought it away from him without a scratch.

"Okay, you little gymnast." He thought while rising up and grabbing the dropped pipe at the same time.

"You've been around long enough you nameless hunk of flesh." He told it before throwing the pipe at it.

Predictably, the enemy dodged, opting to flip over it and land behind his path. But Reeve was ready for it, and when it reached its landing point he was waiting.

Reeve slammed an elbow into its throw, stunning the thing no matter _what _it was, before grabbing the pipe in mid air and spinning around, swinging the pipe at his enemy's helmet-clad face.

It back away again, but he caught the edge of the helmet and a piece was sent flying off into one of the vats of blood.

His enemy didn't so much as put a hand where the hole had been made, but he could see a human face in there. He couldn't see details, but if he'd hit it once, it meant he could do it again.

He rushed forward again and used the pipe like a staff, using the increase in speed as a preference over possibly doing more damage while barely hitting his enemy, swinging it like a baseball bat.

The soldier flashed around him trying to avoid his attacks, but he could hit forward one second and anywhere else the next, at which time the other end of the pipe was already free to use.

He became a whirlwind of attacks, trying to overcome the whirlwind of blue that his enemy flashed around him, and eventually managed to catch his enemy in the stomach with one end of the pipe.

"Too easy." He thought.

Sure enough, he'd been right; his enemy grabbed the end of the pipe and brought a hand up to grab his throat with. However, just because Reeve couldn't pull the pipe away didn't mean he couldn't still use it; the chevalier head-butted the metal-and-Plexiglas helmet, forcing his enemy away, before driving the other end of the pipe up into its helmet again, knocking a good chunk from the thing.

The soldier fell backwards and once again went into another one of its back-flips, but this time, instead of attacking him, it continued to retreat.

"What's the matter? You only want to fight when you have the upper hand?" He asked the silent soldier.

Though he had succeed in getting three attacks on the helmet by now, most of it was still just full of cracks; very little had actually come from it. But if there was any indication, it was like those "corpse corps" ones he'd heard about.

"Do you have a difficulty button on that little remote you're using?! Because you might want to turn it up!" He spoke loudly to the scientist that watched over the scene.

"If that is what you truly want. Return."

The soldier obliged and was back at the man's side in only a few seconds.

"You just don't get it, _do _you? You could send a whole _squad _of these things after me, and it wouldn't make a difference; akin-abilities or not, it won't be able to beat a thinking individual of the same kind."

"Perhaps. But it is that same individual thought that weakens you."

"Oh, and what makes you say that?"

"Individualism means individuality. Individuality means an individual. An individual means a person. A person means a life, and a _life_…"

He pulled the helmet back from the soldier's head and dropped the thing on the floor. The cracked substance of it shattering upon impact.

There was a loud clanging sound as the pipe clattered to the floor, and Reeve took a step forward, staring in disbelief.

Amshel smirked again as the soldier stepped forward once more, its blue eyes gazing at him with a look as cold as his wet blonde hair.

"You couldn't have… I burnt the house down."

"But that which lays below the dirt can't be burnt." Amshel stated as his best friend continued to peer out at him from behind cold, emotionless eyes. His hair was weighed down with water, and his skin looked pale. But it was definitely Nathan. It was definitely his friend.

"Nathan…"

"Engage."

He flinched as the soldier's eyes narrowed and the young man catapulted across the room towards him like the spear of reality into a delusional person's rusted old shield.

"No-"

A booted foot hit him in the nose and sent the chevalier reeling back as blood splattered onto the ground.

Reeve held out a hand, a gesture for his "enemy" to stop, but Nathan's arms snapped forward to grab his wrist and threw him to the hard floor.

He shook his head just in time to see the lights fade out for a moment and looked up, seeing booted feet coming straight down towards his face.

The teenager rolled out of the way at the last second, but upon the attacker's landing a leg struck out and hit him in the side of the face and sent him rolling over into one of the vats, denting it and forcing some blood from the vat to splatter down around him as he pushed himself back up.

"Come on, what the hell's wrong with you?!" He yelled as his friend walked towards him, his eyes still blank.

"You don't understand; it doesn't matter who you are, or your feelings towards another. Sedation is sedation; your friend's body is all that remains, his mind drowned beneath a wave of medication that has turned him into a mindless storage box which only possesses the ability to obey orders and strategize its enemy's death."

"Nathan…agh!"

A hand grabbed his throat and then they were in the air, his neck in a vice-grip as they head upwards.

The assailant landed on the outer rim of the vat, holding him suspended over the bubbling blood. His bloodshot eyes looking at the emotionless observational spheres within "Nathan's".

"Eliminate."

The hand thrust him into the blood and held him beneath the surface as the blood seeped in through his mouth and nose, within him in a matter of milliseconds.

He choked as his lungs took in the blood, making it impossible to cough it out.

The hand held him beneath the pool of blood, sacrificing him in the name of thoughtless massacre.


	39. Hell's skyscraper opera

There shall be an update every day until this storyline has been finished. I've been working on this story almost exclusively recently, and have been neglecting other stories as a result. Because of this, I want to be able to get back to them as quickly as possible. I love working on Waking Dream, I think it's the most unique story I've made yet, but it is unfair to the readers of my other stories to not receive updates.

(By the way, for those who are curious, this chapter's name is a reference to the third-last episode of the anime, Blood+.

* * *

_**True bonds are unbreakable.**_

_**You may hate one another, you made never want to see each other again, but if you love someone, you love them. That's all there is to it.**_

_**No matter what happens in our lives, those bonds that we have with our special few people are perhaps the only things that keep us from falling apart, and drifting away with the wind.**_

_**But not all bonds protect you from hardship. In fact, sometimes they **_**necessitate **_**it.**_

_**Still, those hardships are merely the price to pay for such deep feelings for another. And for those who truly love another, death is far from the end.**_

* * *

He didn't crack. He didn't chip. He didn't fall apart, and he didn't so much as feel his body stiffening as he consumed the blood. That meant only one thing.

"I guess my luck hasn't completely left me _after _all." He thought, not truly all that relieved at the realization.

The hand drew him out of the blood and threw back onto the floor below, sending his body to skid along it.

"Hm, I guess that wasn't the right blood. Even _I _forget which vat contains whose." The bastard scientist remarked, as if in passing.

Reeve barely heard him though. All he could hear, see, smell, or _feel _was a person who had given his life to protect him, now coming to kill him.

"It isn't as if I don't owe him a death; he saved me from it and then accepted it for himself. And if I owe anyone _anything_, I definitely owe Nathan." He continued thinking, his outside body barely more than a forgotten shell.

"When you get down to it, I'm not really worth more than any of those ignorant fools that goes to work in a cubicle. The world won't end just because I decompose or turn to stone."

He looked up from the floor to the "chevalier" or whatever he was supposed to be called that came to finish him off.

"Why _not _give him my head?"

Suddenly two objects came flying towards them and imbedded themselves in the floor, shining brilliantly in the bright light.

It was his and Nathan's swords. The things which had once seemed so important now seemed like letter openers on a desk.

The workmanship of both was irrelevant, as was their style and everything else about them. The only thing of significance to note, was that Nathan- no, the emotionless soldier he'd became, pulled the blades from the ground and raised them up over his head, his silhouette covering Reeve's body as he sat against the dented vat, trembling.

"It doesn't matter. I had a good run." He thought.

"We live. We die. But we'll always be friends."

The cold blues eyes blinked, and the blades descended.

Reeve closed his eyes, and heard the sound of flesh tearing as blood erupted about them.

And a scream roared out across the massive room.

He opened his eyes again, and saw that the blood was coming from his friend's arteries, which he'd cut himself as he screamed at it; banishing whatever evil had possessed him to be such a way.

Reeve stared at his friend, wide-eyed, who struggled to remain standing until he finally tore the swords from his body and allowed the wounds to close up.

Nathan fell to his knees, his energy as spent Reeve had been before being plunged down into the vat of Diva's blood.

"Nathan…" He whispered, seeing his blood-brother breathing hard, his wet hair covering his face.

"Hm. It looks like strength of personality and relationship _does _make a difference." Came a goading tone from across the room.

Amshel gazed at them, something between scientific curiosity and sadism in his eyes.

"Unfortunately for you both, now it means you're going to have to actually try to kill the other, both of you being fully aware of what you are-"

"Go to hell, dickhead." Spoke a grating voice from beneath a wet mane of blonde hair.

"'kill the other'? What the fuck are you smoking, jack hole? The only person who's gonna die in this room is _you_."

"Such a stubborn personality; it's easy to see how you two came to be friends."

"Don't you _dare _say that word! Someone like you couldn't even know the _beginning _of what it means!" Nathan yelled at him, pulling his sword up from the ground and facing towards him.

"You misunderstand; just because you managed to regain your consciousness by primitively removing the sedatives from your system with your blood doesn't mean you can deny your commands. You will still carry them out; now it is merely up to you the method which you use to do so."

"Go to hel- aaaaagh!!!!!"

Nathan screamed as he dropped the sword to the floor and grabbed his head, shaking it back and forth.

"No! Not again! You aren't taking myself away again! Aaaagh- no way in- agh- in hell!"

"It was an amusing and rewarding experience watching your reunion, but I have other things to do; I can't be burdening myself with the drama of teenagers forever." Amshel stated as he walked away from the capsule, towards a door.

"Wait! Get back here!" Reeve yelled, running towards the man.

There wasn't anything he could do, though, and the man had departed through the door before he could even make it halfway across the room.

The fleeting importance of the chevalier's departure, however, was overcome as Nathan continued to scream as he fought against whatever control was urging him to kill his best friend.

Reeve rushed back over to him and put a hand on his back, but the young man shook it away, stumbling over towards a vat and placing his hands on it before repeatedly bashing his head against it.

He knew there was nothing he could do to make this easier, so Reeve merely stood and watched as his friend seemed to overpower the desire on his own; its hold on his brain seeming to lessen as the dent in the outside of the vat _deepened_.

Finally, he seemed capable of speaking again.

"Reeve…what the hell is going on?" He spoke breathlessly, barely above a whisper.

He was going to tell Nathan it was complicated, but he knew his friend would still want an answer regardless.

"Diva saved me by giving me her blood, which made my body like hers; stronger, faster and with quicker healing than a human. That… man that just left found out that I was planning to kill him to free Diva of her ties to him, and he must have unburied you and then brought you back the same way, but with something to control you inside your body."

Nathan made an attempt at a grin.

"That's pretty thin."

He tried to as well.

"Yeah. I know."

"So then, what? I get brain surgery to get the stuff out of me or something?"

"He didn't say _how _he could control you, other than that device he was using could manipulate whatever is inside your body to do as he said."

"I heard a voice." Nathan spoke.

He didn't understand what that'd meant.

"What do you mean?"

"Some kind of voice… it was echoing in my head. I can still kind of hear it now. It sounds like a girl singing."

Reeve's eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed in realization within only a few seconds as he understood.

"That voice must have been some sort of manufactured version of Diva's; when she sings it affects people like us. Since you had all those drugs in your system it must have been able to control you."

"So does that mean that the urge will go awaaaaaagh!"

Nathan grabbed his head again as the signal seemed to reach him once more, causing him to fall onto his back as he writhed on the floor.

Reeve trembled as Nathan struggled against the renewed urge and knew that the only way to stop this would be to either get that control from Amshel or destroy it. But he didn't know what would happen to Nathan and, honestly, he didn't want to just leave him here to deal with the problem on his own.

Nathan's struggling brought him back up onto his knees, where his hands finally came away from his head and he fell forward, still kneeling, laying his head against the floor.

"I… don't want to." He spoke to the sound in his head, the anger in his voice gone now, replaced only by a saddened shakiness.

"I don't want to- I _won't _kill you." He spoke, as Reeve heard tears hit the floor.

A shiver spread out across his body, as he slowly walked towards Nathan. His friend's muscles recoiled, though he seemed incapable of moving, as Reeve drew close to him.

"No. Stay away-"

"It's alright, Nathan." He told him softly, kneeling down himself and placing his hands on his friend's shoulders.

Nathan drew his face up, stains of tears on his face appearing as acid dissolving a beautiful painting.

"You don't have to fight it anymore."

"But-"

"Shh, be quiet."

His friend's head fell to his shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around his blood brother, feeling the young man trembling against him.

"We're brothers, Nathan. We may not have the same parents, but each of us has the other's blood within him. And if your blood vies for an end to this, then mine does as well."

"Reeve…"

"It's alright." He spoke, his voice shaking.

"You're a good brother." Nathan told him.

"And an even _greater _friend."

He smiled, both of them crying now, as they placed their foreheads against each other and balled their hands into fists.

The red and violet eyes of Reeve's, and the pure red eyes of Nathan's glowed as they bit into each other's necks without resistance, draining blood from each other and building up their strength as they held together as long as they could.

Reeve placed his hands on Nathan's shoulders, and his on Reeve's, and they tore away, back up towards their respective swords as they heard a rain storm coming from outside.

They withdrew their swords from the stone floor, and looked towards each other, but didn't make eye contact.

"Reeve…"

"There's nothing more to say." He spoke, his voice as empty as Nathan's.

"You're right… come on!" He screamed, and the two glared, running at each other and screaming as loud with their lungs as they did with their hearts.


	40. Two friends

_**All struggles must come to an end eventually. It doesn't matter whether they last seconds, hours, decades or centuries. Nothing lasts forever.**_

_**People may be gifted with the ability to think for themselves, but their minds are constantly under siege by others' thoughts and ambitions. Until, finally, one force dissipates.**_

_**And some struggles are not ones people feel are right; sometimes struggles just happen. And it is when these struggles occur between loved ones that something truly terrifying takes place; people who love one another are forced to combat the other.**_

_**When this struggle is finally over, if they're lucky, both will die.**_

_**And occasionally fate can be merciful.**_

* * *

"Reeve!"

She spoke the thought out loud as her eyes opened in surprise at hearing the young man's scream.

Humans wouldn't have been able to hear it; even _she _had barely heard the muffled sound, but she knew it was him.

Diva spun, turning away from Saya, who had heard the sound as wel, but had seem more confused by it than surprised.

Diva's long hair swept through the air like a black curtain, declaring the end of Saya and hers' time together, as she ran for the door.

"Diva! Wait!"

She barely heard her sister, and anything else she could have said was lost as she threw open the door and immediately ran in the direction she'd heard his scream come from.

There was a door very close by and knew he must have gone through there. Diva didn't bother to observe the guests' reactions to her running about as she pulled open the other door and ran down the steps, her heart beating faster than her feet would let her move.

"Reeve, please be okay."

"Hya!"

Sparks flashed, reflected in the otherwise dull-colored vats as the swords clashed.

The two pushed each other away, dragging their swords along the vats to slow them down as the sharp blades threatened to cut through the only barrier between them and a possibly-lethal tank's worth of blood.

Neither of them knew whose blood had been used to revive Nathan, which meant any vat could likely contain the blood needed to kill him. But that was unimportant to them right now.

Nathan ran towards Reeve, stabbing out with his sword, which his blood brother struck away and then countered with a slash.

The blonde-haired chevalier did a small flip, just barely avoiding being bisected through the stomach, and landed behind Reeve, thrusting his sword towards the black-haired chevalier.

Reeve spun around and did the same, both of their swords finding their target and impaling themselves through their wielder's opponent.

Nathan and Reeve grunted in pain and struck their head against one another's as they tore away, leaving long, joined trails of blood behind them as they stumbled away.

Still stumbling, the leaned back and then forward, shifting all their weight as they ran towards each other again, their feet stamping into the puddles of blood as their swords clashed once more. This time shards from both their swords shot up into the air, striking two of the light bulbs in the ceiling and causing them to break and turn off.

They pulled away, cutting at each other.

Nathan's sword struck Reeve between the ribs, while Reeve's cut Nathan down the chest as they passed one another. Nathan's heart could be seen beating rapidly and Reeve's stomach tensed as they grunted at the pain.

Their wounds closed. But not before the spun around and struck at each other as they neared a safe range from one another.

Once more shards were struck from the swords, and somehow hit light bulbs, breaking them and extinguishing their light. However, with every light that had, and continued to go out, the blood brothers fought each other with greater and greater intensity.

Blood rushed from their wounds and pieces of bone were cloven from their forbearers but they fought harder and harder, and even when their wounds began to heal at a slower rate they still fought and fought.

A large spark flashed out in the darkening room with a loud clang as they struck each other away one last time, skidding nearly fifty feet from each other.

They growled, the single light bulb that remained lit in the middle of the room marking their mutual destination.

With no assistance, the light bulb began to flicker, plunging the area into darkness one second and alleviating it of the burden the next, until after a few moments, it went out for good.

Their eyes flared and they roared as they ran across the room towards each other, their feet pounding on the hard floor as they struck at each other once more, and there was a huge clang as both their sword were struck from their clenched hands, and flew horizontally towards the vats on opposite sides. They punctured the large metal containers, and blood began to leak out, one indistinguishable from the other.

They breathed hard as their blood dripped from their wounds, and into the quickly expanding pool of blood that had spilt from the vats.

They heard a cracking sound in the air, hearing someone's blood crystallizing as they sprang for their respective swords, imbedded in the blood-filled vats.

Their hands reached the hilts, and they came to a stop. Both of them were trembling, but not in pain or anger.

The pool of crystallizing blood could be heard as it continued to turn someone's or _both _of their blood to crystals.

Nathan and Reeve both gave big breath.

"Here we go." Nathan spoke solemnly.

Then the light bulb which had just gone out burst, and they tore their swords from the walls of the blood's prison and charged at each other.

Reeve yelled, and Nathan yelled. They _both _yelled, and stabbed each other through the stomach with their swords.

They waited only a second before pulling away and throwing their swords to the floor as they stared at one another.

The pool was no longer making any noise, and they heard no music from the world above; it was completely silent.

Then they both heard the sound of blood hardening as it turned from a liquid, to stone.


	41. Nankurunaisah

And here you go.

_**

* * *

**__**This world is empty, void of all meaning and its only energy is the swirling mass of chaos that spurs it on day after day.**_

_**Mercy, does not exist. Nor does happiness, nor sadness, nor hatred; all are just mere illusions to draw ignorant people away from the realization that in the end all we amount to is a madness in this world, and that madness is what is poisoning it to the core.**_

_**Even if there **_**are **_**pure people in the world, there is far from enough of them to counteract the shear amount of filth that the rest of the human race is.**_

_**In the end, nothing has any meaning, which results in only one truth; the powerful decide what happens to the world, while the weak are forced to act it out or endure those wills.**_

_**Which are you?**_

* * *

The sound continued, a very unwelcome, yet natural, and inevitable sound.

It reminded him of a beautiful ice-sculpture being shattered prematurely, do to an irritated passerby wrecking it to satiate its own tastes.

Then the sound was given shape, and he began to see Nathan's fingertips hardening and losing their color.

Reeve relaxed and closed his eyes and not fighting his body's reaction to the blood.

His brother and he had grown up together, and had died together once. This would mark the second, and final time.

But he didn't feel anything changing; his fingertips didn't harden, and another crystallizing sound did not join Nathan's, as the area around his stomach wound suddenly hardened to white stone, his crystal hands going to touch the spot.

"Why is it just me?" He asked, in complete confusion.

Reeve's eyes snapped open, and he looked at Nathan.

A line of scarlet slid down his shoulder, and then his entire arm turned to stone, falling from his torso and revealing the glistening red crystals inside.

Nathan gasped in surprise and fear as Reeve ran forward.

"Nathan!" He yelled, grabbing the arm, not allowing it to descend any further than it had and placing it back where it belonged.

"I'll help you; we'll find a way to make this stop!"

Nathan's face did not change, but his voice calmed.

"M… my brother."

"It's alright!"

A burst of cracks disproved his declaration and Nathan's legs shattered beneath him, causing him to fall backwards as Reeve leapt to catch him, dropping his arm and unintentionally allowing _it _to shatter as_ well_.

The white stone of his chest expanded, reaching the base of his neck as the two stared at each other, Reeve's face showing exceedingly more fear than Nathan's.

"It…I…"

"Be quiet! This isn't a problem, I'll find a way to fix this! I…I'll-"

His face drew crumpled as he couldn't resist allowing it show his misery as he felt streams rolling down from his eyes and desperately scattered his hands around, trying in vain to keep the crystallization from spreading any further.

"Reeve… you should have left this world, gone with Diva somewhere else." He spoke quietly.

"Not without you! I need you to help show me how! I don't know how to do it on my own!"

Nathan shook his head.

"You know what it takes to be happy."

He reached his remaining arm up towards Reeve as his neck was overcome by the white granite and his eyes showed all of the life in him that remained.

"Whatever you do, whatever it _takes_; be happy."

Nathan was smiling when his head turned to shining stone, and his arm, crystal as well, froze in the air, still reaching towards his blood brother.

Reeve breathed, and all of his breath came out as he stared at Nathan's unmoving statue.

Slowly, his diamond-like hand drew towards the raised granite one of Nathan's, and gently touched it.

An earthquake of cracks spread out from the hand across the entire arm, and then the whole body burst apart, a broken mirror of glistening white and shining red.

He trembled as he drew his transformed hand back towards him, the thing looking like the hand of a devil.

A pathetic mewling sound came from his throat, and then he screamed his sorrow at the air.

* * *

She heard the scream; it was much different from his last one. Comparing the two was like comparing a war cry to a shriek of despair.

Diva didn't bother running any longer; she disappeared in a blue flash, and then reappeared down by the door to the room she knew Reeve was in.

Her hand hit the door and sent it reeling off of its hinges into the high ceiling of the room, imbedded within it.

Diva ran through the door and started to look around when she saw the knelt figure in the middle of the darkened room. No lights were on, but she could tell, from the faint glow of the person's left arm, that it was him.

She got the tiniest of smiles as she ran towards him, making sure not to trip on her dress.

"Reeve! Are you alright?!" She called out to him.

He turned- his _body _turned, and his _face _looked at her.

It wasn't Reeve. It was someone else.

She recognized the face's features, the jet-black hair, and the glowing red and violet eyes.

They all looked the same as she had remembered them, in terms of structure, but they were being worn differently. Where once she'd seen Reeve's face, she now just saw its contents stretched over and tucked into a demon's skull.

It looked at her, and its eyes did not change. There was not a look of happiness, nor sadness. Its face did not loosen up as it so often had before when he would see her.

The eyes, before glowing with a radiance that spoke of the "purity" he had talked about once, now radiated with nothing but hatred, its jaws ground together like an animal's sneer, bearing its teeth at her.

Its hair had fallen, not out of style but out of structure, and though it was not that different, it reminded her of the coat of an animal when it sensed another, _hostile_ animal nearby.

All of those thoughts went through her mind in just a second or two before she realized something; this _was _Reeve. His skin had not been torn from his face, nor his hair from his head, or his eyes from his sockets. He had not been brainwashed or manipulated; Reeve knelt in front of her, completely himself, and glared at her with a hatred she could feel searing her marrow.

The radiation went further, though; through her and into the walls behind her, and the ground, and the air, and the buildings. She could feel his hatred spreading out in all directions and realized, quickly enough, that his hatred had nothing to do with her; his hatred permeated the _world_.

It took Diva ten seconds to realize all of this, and only half of another to feelher heart brake.

She stepped backwards, and accidentally ripped her dress in the process as she nearly tripped and fell onto the ground.

She was vaguely aware of approaching forms coming down the stairs, as did Reeve; he stood up, putting something in his pocket as he did so, and now glaring towards the stairwell.

The look of contempt was only visible for a second or two more though, as he soon disappeared in a flash of violet, and she heard a door on the other end of the room being torn apart as he left the room, leaving her all alone.

Diva felt her face remaining open, the look of shock not having lost its hold over her since she first set eyes on the changed young man.

"What could have happened to change you so much?" She wondered- _begged _in her thoughts. But there was no answer from him, or the air, or the uncertainty of her mind.

Her eyes fell towards what he had been kneeling in front of, and she noticed what looked like the remains of a chiropteran's "corpse" after it had crystallized.

"But why would he care about-"

Though she'd thought it impossible, her eyes grew even _wider _when she spotted the damaged blade of a sword she'd only seen once before, the night they were attacked. It had belonged to their savior who, though he died as a result, had no regretted saving them in the least.

She recognized the weapon well as having belonged to Nathan, Reeve's best and quite possibly, only friend. It had been thrust into the grave of the teenager back at Reeve's house, and she'd never thought she would see it again.

But Nathan's reappearance both explained the weapon, and the cataclysmic change in Reeve's personality. And she didn't have to guess what the cause of the young man's death was after seeing Reeve's reaction.

"He felt like he'd caused his death once already, and then he actually killed him personally. Reeve…"

She felt tears threatening to well from her eyes as she heard the forms reached the basement, Diva still as much alone as she had been after Reeve left her tonight, and before Reeve had ever been a part of her life before.

* * *

The door to whatever room the chevalier was in was strong, metal… it gave a more satisfying feeling when he smashed it open and straight across the next room. That was, until it reached something in the middle of the room which batted it away into a wall with a single hand.

"It took you longer than I'd thought it would." Came a deep, yet arrogant voice.

The door could be heard falling, down into something below, and making a hissing sound for a few seconds before the noise dissipated.

A bright-yellowish, green color permeated the room, as did the smell of chemicals; acid, specifically.

"I have no patience for taunts any longer." Reeve told the chevalier as he flashed across the room.

Amshel opened his mouth, and Reeve felt a force coming towards him, but his demonic-esque arm led the way and punctured a hole through whatever had been sent towards him, as well as heading straight for the middle of the chevalier's burgundy suit.

At the last moment the man shifted and moved past Reeve, yet he heard a quick tear sound before they regained their footing and he face forward, opposite of the direction in which Amshel stood.

There was no other door, or at least, not one which he could see, and the only thing he _did _see looked much like some kind of control panel.

There was no floor, only a yard-and-a-half wide catwalk, which was held about ten or so feet above what appeared to be a glowing pool of acid. But this was no time to mock clichés, there was something far more important to accomplish here.

"That arm of yours certainly is astounding. It's a shame _you _were the one to manifest such a curious evolution- no, perhaps in _your _case 'mutation' would be a better word."

"I won't argue that his hand is tainted. In fact, it is a constant reminder of the stain this world, as well as my actions within it, have done to me."

He turned back towards the chevalier, his eyes glowing violet and red.

"But mutation or not, nothing will deter it from its intended purpose tonight; its going to hold you beneath the surface of this acid pool until you melt away into nothing. And then that control over chiropterans will be mine."

"Greed?"

"Perhaps."

He gazed at his shining hand and at the silver-red stone held within it. Then he consumed it and swallowed, feelings the crystallized blood melting in his stomach and renewing his energy.

"But I believe my motivating 'sin' is more along the lines of _wrath_."

The arm glowed brighter, matching the swelling of his hatred as he slowly moved his fingers, cracking sounds coming from them.

"Enough discussion. Die."

His form slid across the catwalk and he swung his demonic hand out like a claw, and rent the railings near Amshel to pieces, allowing them to fall into the pool of acid as the man backed away and he pursued.

"So you killed your friend and now you hate the world? How childish."

He'd hated the world for years now; not out of childishness. He saw the flaws in it, the people, their relationships, their systems, and noticed how useless of a word "perfect" was. For someone of such ability as himself, his standards had been just as high.

Reeve had been disappointed upon arrival.

The yellowish light of the room seemed to shift hues constantly as he swung his demonic arm at the man in a barrage of swipes and stabs, causing there to be a sphere of discoloration around them as the different colors present in his arm changed the look of the light around them.

A few times more the suit was ripped, but he never felt anything connect, which just infuriated him even more.

"Rrrraaagh!" He screamed as he swung his arm at the man stronger than before, and felt something happen to the air in front of it. A moment later he could feel the same kind of force going towards the head chevalier as Amshel had previously sent towards _him_, only _this _time each was like a crescent, one per finger.

Amshel countered the attack, but only caught the middle two, and though the other two "forces" didn't _hit _him, one went over his head, keeping him from moving into the air, while the other went to his feet, keeping him from moving past Reeve. With his sides also cut off as escape roots, Reeve snarled and leapt forward once more as he realized the only direction Amshel could move to avoid him was backwards.

As expected, he leapt back, but it didn't matter, since Reeve was so much faster than him when lunging in a straight line and attacking, the only viable option was to move out of the way, which the arrogant chevalier could no longer due.

The arm pierced the man through the chest, tearing through his ribs, lungs, heart, spinal column and backbone all at the same time. And as Reeve pulled the arm from his enemy, he used the other hand to shove the wounded chevalier down onto the catwalk, bringing his hand up one more time to drive it through the bastard's head.

As his arm rose, however, and his peripheral vision raised slightly, he saw someone standing over by the doorway to the room, their long black hair-

"Damnit." He cursed, his arm instead swiping more "force" at the cement area above the doorway and causing chunks of rubble to fall down, blocking the eyesight of both from extending beyond their respective rooms.

Unfortunately, this gave the chevalier below him enough time to bring a leg up under him and push him away, enough power in the attack to send him all the way across the room, not a foot from the wall.

"Impressive; that you can already manipulate your body enough to match the strengths I've acquired. But your _mind _still does not seem to match it."

He gnashed his teeth together; Reeve was tired of hearing this bastard's gloating.

"Tell me, whose blood do you think it was that I used to bring your friend back?"

His fingers curled in as he endured the hatred for just a few moments longer.

"And the blood in the vats?"

"Just speak."

Amshel smirked.

"I used _Saya's _blood, and the only blood contained in the vats in this facility is _Diva's_."

His glare widened his stare as his mind realized the point.

"There was never even a _contingency _plan of using that friend of yours for anything other than a prototype; from the very beginning, unless he had been able to cut off your head, it was impossible for him to kill you; he was merely a demoralizing factor."

"You used him like an…"

Reeve didn't finish, his demonic arm leapt to the side out of reflex, and he felt something crushed by it.

At once a loud beeping sound repeated annoyingly quickly, and he could smell the acid more distinctly as he felt it rising.

Reeve pulled his hand from the console and gazed at it, noticing how its glow had grown more red in color than it had before.

"Enough of your talk, you trash."

His arm sailed through the air, carrying his body behind it, and reached the chevalier before he could so much as gasp, and dragged its way along his healed torso, raking back and forth faster than a human could move their eyes.

As the blood rushed from the wounds and pieces of bone and organs fell down past and through the catwalk, the hand suddenly lurched up and grabbed the chevalier by the throat before lifting him up into the air.

"You would like to observe the qualities of this arm, yes? Perhaps you should find out if it can be dissolved by acid."

Not a second later he spun around and thrust Amshel down through the weakened portion of the catwalk damaged by his earlier attack and moved down through it as well, only holding himself onto the thing by his free hand and feet.

The chevalier's body was thrust into the acid as Reeve's arm descended into it as well, nearly to the shoulder.

He felt popping bubbles of acid bursting small drops onto himself, dissolving his suit and damaging his skin, but his body was more than capable of healing the minor, though painful wounds.

His grip on the chevalier's neck tightened, however, as he held the thrashing body beneath the surface of the acid, and felt first the skin, and then the muscle of the neck dissolving beneath his claw-like hand.

It took a minute before the acid had dissolved the body completely, and his hand held onto nothing, and then _another _minute before he pulled himself back up through the catwalk and stood up.

He gazed down at the pool, and wished he'd had more time to vent his anger. But knew it wouldn't have mattered; he could have killed the chevalier a hundred times and he would still be furious.

Reeve looked at the pool for a few more seconds before he turned around, beginning to walk towards the pile of rubble. However, he felt his shoe brush against something and he looked down; by his foot was some sort of strange, remote-like device, slightly bigger than a grown man's hand.

He almost grinned, but didn't, as he knelt down towards the device and picked the controller up.

"So, this is what controls chiropterans?" He thought.

Reeve felt a fleeting desire to mock it, but ultimately just gave "hmph" and held it as he walked to the pile of rubble in front of the door.

* * *

She'd waited, hearing the sounds in the other room and wanting to dive through the blocked doorway at every one of them. But she knew that this was what Reeve wanted. No… probably more than that, she was scared of seeing Reeve as he had been again.

The "normal" thoughts went through her head, of hope, and the like; maybe after he killed Amshel he would go back to normal, and they would be able to live happily together.

Diva, however, was not naïve, she'd never been, and knew that there was very little, if _any _possibility of that happening.

When she heard the sounds of struggle cease, and then the rubble in front of her was struck down, she knew it wouldn't.

Reeve's eyes were still glowing. Normally a chevalier's or queen's eyes only glowed when they were in a state of extreme stress, or emotion. Which meant it was essentially limited to battle, as the "bar" for how high one's emotions had to be to cause the reaction were quite high.

Yet Reeve's did not change in the slightest now that the fighting was over, which meant he was still filled with as much emotion as he had been before. Given her previous experience, it was not difficult to guess that the emotion he felt was hatred.

Before, Diva could pull Reeve out of his depressive slumps, or his enraged highs. But _before _there had always been a specific cause or situation. And though she knew Nathan's death at his own hands was what had caused his wrath to flow up into his mind, Diva _also _knew that it was merely allowing him to feel hatred he had likely felt for years.

It was this realization, of his fury being not directed at a person, or a situation, but the _world _that made her realize that she could not help him this time, no matter how hard she tried. And that made her feel terrible.

His gaze didn't change in the slightest as he caught sight of her, diminishing the girl's previous hopes which had been raised when he'd reacted to her being outside the doorway.

Reeve continued walking, past her, like the girl had not been there to begin with.

James, Solomon, Nathan, and Karl all were there as well, having dismissed the other guests in the name of "technical difficulties", but he paid them no heed either.

That was, until he stopped walking, about a yard or so past them all.

"Solomon, if you want to go be with Saya, do so. Expect no leniency in actions towards her from me; it no longer benefits her situation for you to be on 'the enemy's' side. Karl, if you want to kill Saya, feel free, but don't expect success with how many allies she has. Nathan, do as you wish, just stay out of my way. And _James_…"

She swallowed.

"We have work to do."

He spoke everything with the tone of a general in wartime, and she knew that that was exactly how he felt; Reeve at war with not only the Red Shield, but the _world_.

Then he began walking again, followed shortly thereafter by the confused, but solemn James, as Karl and Solomon were both left to make decisions and Nathan was left frowning.

Diva remembered hearing Saya tell her something, while they had been together in the room, a Japanese word; Nan-kuru-nai-sah. It meant "everything will work out". Despite the situation, she had believed wholeheartedly in that word.

She sniffled while falling to her knees as she continued to hear Reeve's resounding footsteps as he left the room, and walked up the stairs, leaving her alone once more.

* * *

_This is channel 4 news, bringing you the latest, and most accurate information available. Today Cinq Fleches Pharmaceuticals and Goldsmith holdings both had their original CEOs, Solomon Goldsmith and Amshel Goldsmith, replaced with a young man who __**just **__turned eighteen this year; Reeve Roswell, the supposedly-dead son of the Roswell family, a millionaire family popular in many high-class circles._

_Reeve Roswell was assumed dead when his parents' home, in which he was residing, was burnt down several months ago. Though several bodies were found in the rubble, through DNA tests, none had been identified as the heir to the millionaire fortune._

_Surprisingly, the Roswell's and the Goldsmith's appeared to have never been in contact with each other, which begs the question, why was a man so young, with no affiliation to the Goldsmith family, chosen to succeed two experienced, capable, and seemingly healthy previous CEOs? More on this story later tonight._

_This is channel 7 news, the most reliable news station on the air. The high echelons of society have been shaken with the deaths of Marie and Henry Roswell, the parents of the new head of the Goldsmith enterprise, Reeve Roswell._

_The circumstances surrounding their deaths are still uncertain as of this time, but foul play __**is **__suspected. With the young man's reputation and ruthless business approach, some question whether or not __**he **__was the cause of their deaths, though no evidence seems to corroborate such speculations. _

_Since his taking over of the companies beneath the Goldsmith family, Reeve Roswell has combined them all into a single enterprise, of which he controls with an iron fist. Though there is technically a board of committees their involvement in the decisions of the company is expected to be just above zero, and the young man now controls a multibillion dollar enterprise entirely on his own, its vast resources only added on to after receiving all of his parents' estate and holdings, as per their will._

_Interestingly enough, mister Roswell has not appeared publicly since his taking over of the businesses, though recordings show that he is indeed the one controlling things._

_We can only wait to see how these events, and the investigation into the deaths of Marie and Henry Roswell, turn out, and you can count on channel seven to be there when they are revealed._

_Channel nine news, always there, always on time. The leading story for several months now has been Reeve Roswell, the head of the Goldsmith enterprise and __**now **__apparently the head of a monopoly on pharmaceuticals. _

_Within the last few months, the heads of other pharmaceutical companies, as well as their committees, and arguably most important staff members, were all found dead, apparently killed in every instance by some sort of savage attack by a large, wild animal. _

_Though the Goldsmith enterprise's untouched staff has drawn speculation to them as conspiring in the deaths of important members of opposing companies, these speculations have been overwritten by immense scientific curiosity. Apparently, the size of the bites, claw marks, and other wounds to the body do not match a single known living animal on any country's record._

_Though the animal or animals are of an unknown origin, it __**has **__been confirmed that all of the deaths __**were **__caused by the same unidentified animal species. This has caused even more speculation to be directed at Goldsmith enterprises, as in recent history there has been talk that they are taking place in cloning experiments, though these claims have not yet been substantiated._

_A new organization has recently emerged, however, calling themselves the Red Shield, and is offering protection to those officials who remain, claiming they know how to deal with the problem. Though the organization has no official history, it seems to have immense resources. However, the head of the organization, Maxim Kirill, has refused to divulge any information on the animal or the methods which they intend to use to combat it._

_The circumstances surrounding the officials' deaths seem to be that much __**more **__suspicious, due to the unknown animals' specifically targeting officials of certain companies. And in fact, the __**Red Shield **__has been accused of participating in cloning activities __**themselves**__, with some circumstantial evidence already present of mass-produced plasma copied from a single source's blood._

_The extent of each factor's significance in this situation is unknown, but still worldwide. And though there is still much to learn on the matter, we know that the truth will be revealed eventually. And hopefully that truth will show itself sooner, rather than later._


	42. Freezing fire

(Sigh) It would seem this "weekly update" thing isn't working out for me. Whenever this huge writer's block subsides and I once again begin doing the faster updating perhaps it shall return, but for now I'll just post a chapter whenever I come up with one. Unless I make two in a short timeframe, in which case I'll probably wait a while, since overposting is primarily what got me into this little stall to begin with.

* * *

_**People are worthless.**_

_**As we're brought up, we're taught to believe that everyone has "an intrinsic value" to them, that we're all **_**worth**_** something. **_

_**However, as we all find out when we die, or at least those of us who are lucky enough to be conscious at the time, there is no heaven, nor hell, no reincarnation, no reward, no punishment, and the world keeps going on as it always has, accepting the changing form of one of its occupants.**_

_**People do not know death. That is why they fear it, and that is why they build up all their values around how much a person's "life" is worth.**_

_**But at the end of the day, we're nothing but a mash of nutrients and minerals, constructs of bone and sinew. And when we die, our material, our "essence" goes into the earth, at least in natural deaths, and feeds the world so that the cycle of life can continue.**_

_**In the end, even if it were "evil" to end a life, it wouldn't change the fact that it is an inevitability that all life ends at one time or another, so it doesn't really matter when or how it happens.**_

_**The only difference is if you are strong enough to decide when that time comes, or weak enough to have others decide that for you.**_

* * *

_The sky is bright, almost thoughtfully, as it once seemed to be. Clouds are scattered across the sky, but they don't impede the sunlight's path to the earth, allowing it to help the lush grass beneath their feet grow._

_Two boys chase one another around the grassy area, laughing as they forcefully nudge into the other, saying "you're" it so many times they lose count, until at last they charge into each other and fall to the grass, laughing again, their game over._

_They're hugging each other; it was when they were young enough that such contact wasn't discouraged amongst males, their arms wrapped about each other in a brotherly embrace._

_One's hair is blonde, his eyes blue, and the other's jet black, and his eyes violet and red._

_They bump their heads together, animalistic signs of affection before lying back on the grass, separating, and looking up at the sky as the clouds go by._

"_Do you think things will always be like this, Nathan?" Reeve asks his best friend and blood brother as they watch the clouds._

"_What do you mean?"_

"_This… happy. This simple."_

"_Why not? Why shouldn't they?"_

_Reeve shrugs._

"_I want them to last too, but I don't think they will."_

_Nathan laughs as he sits up, his boyish features growing more defined, though still retaining a youthful appearance, and his voice growing deeper._

"_We're brothers, Reeve; even if the sky goes dark and the grass shrivels up, we'll always be here for each other."_

_Reeve is older now too, though he's lost his smile and his eyes have lost their carefree easiness. His voice seems colder than Nathan's._

"_I know. I'm glad to hear it."_

_He gulps as he thinks of the possibility of Nathan not being around anymore, and feels himself begin to cry._

"_I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here with me."_

_A warm hand ruffles his hair, making his sappiness go away and causing him to frown._

"_Don't worry, I'll always be here-"_

_He finishes the sentence. But they both hear something afterwards and Nathan's normally smiling face frowns as they both look down; a bullet hole is in his chest._

_Reeve quickly snaps out a hand to place in front of the wound to keep it from bleeding, but instead of his hand going to the wound, a sword goes through it instead, causing Nathan to gasp._

"…_R- Reeve."_

"_Nathan!"_

_He tries to catch his friend before he falls backwards onto the grass, but fails, and sees his friend's dead eyes gaze up into the air._

_His lips go from trembling to clenching as he glares up at the man who shot him, a well-muscled man in a business suit, the gun he used still smoking._

_The grass around them shrivels and the sky darkens as was promised, the sun fading into obscurity._

"_Time to wake up; you can't stay in your little dream world forever."_

_Reeve tackles the man, but before he can claw the murderer to death he sees more people out in front of them._

_The people seem to expand and clone into hundreds, then thousands, then millions of silhouettes and he realizes that the others are humanity itself, laughing and cursing at the brothers' bond._

_Reeve's hands tighten into fists and flames engulf the people, causing them to scream and wail as their mocking ceases and they beg for mercy-_

* * *

"Sir?"

Reeve's eyes slowly opened and were filled with fire for a moment, scaring his awakener back a few feet.

"What is it?" He asked the man blankly, neither happy nor upset that the man has woken him from the dream-turned-nightmare.

"We've discovered that the Red Shield's headquarters is currently docked outside of Reykjavik."

His brow drew just slightly closer, and he brought his hand away from his face, previously used as a mid-air "pillow" on which he'd rested. It wasn't that he required rest anymore, but he still tended to "meditate" with his eyes closed every once in a while.

"Reykjavik…Iceland, hm?"

"Yes, sir."

"How soon can you ship those containers to Iceland?"

"Sir?"

"The twenty shipping containers that I told you about."

"If I call transportation they can have the pickup begun in an hour or so."

"Get it done."

"Yes, sir." The man told him, going off to do his duty.

The office resembled more of a planning room in a war than any sort of actual "office". But then again, that was exactly what it was; a war room. It represented the center of his efforts to find and ultimately eliminate the Red Shield; they were his only obstacles in burning this world of people to the ground so at last he might get some peace.

Obviously, he hadn't told his little "advisors" of why they were trying to eliminate the Red Shield, what was in the shipping containers, and _certainly _not that they were just his introduction into this little war, his Blitzkrieg to shatter humanity's first and only real bastion against chiropteran influence.

"Hmph, saying it like that makes it seem like it's what they still stand for." Reeve thought, pushing himself out of his chair and turning back towards the door of the room.

"Tell me once the shipping containers have arrived, or if the Red Shield moves again. And make sure to send them to the same port."

"Yes, sir." Sounded the drone again as he made his way to the door and began raising his hand towards the door handle. As he did, however, it was turned by itself and someone opened the door in a hurry as a shorter humanoid form than his own gazed up at him, her blues eyes glistening with delight.

"I found you!" She declared triumphantly, dashing forward and hugging him around the torso, her long black hair sweeping about her like a royal cape.

"Reeve… I was looking all over for you!" Diva told him.

She didn't wear blue or white dresses anymore; the only things she wore now were violet ones. A person could only guess why.

"_Most _can only guess anyway." He thought.

"I'm sorry if I've proven hard to find." He told her.

She shook her head before drawing away, smiling up into his face which resembled more of a mask than a human expression.

"It's alright; I've found you now."

Their eyes met and she blinked.

"Why don't we go somewhere together? I've been wanting to get a new dress for a while."

"Sorry, I-"

"Or perhaps some lingerie?" She teased him, earning a few glances from the worker drones of the office.

He wasn't phased.

"Keep working." He told them, sending their minds back to their tasks at hand.

"Sorry, Diva, I'm busy; another time." He told her, walking past the girl into the doorway.

"But that's what you said _last _time." She stated from behind him.

"As soon as this is done, we'll go and do whatever you want."

"I've heard _that _before _too_."

He came to a stop, waiting.

"Do you mean once you're done with sending those container-things to Iceland, or after you've destroyed that big ship and that man aboard it?"

Reeve took a breath, at least in his mind.

"Once I'm finished." He spoke to her, not stating his answer anymore specifically than before, closing the door behind him as he walked down the hallway, his footsteps echoing throughout the long corridor.

Diva had tried to support him at first; she didn't ask him to do anything for several months, and even sang a few times at concerts to help raise money for the enterprise he now owned. But as the months dragged on and she realized how long-term of a goal his was, her resolve showed more and more cracks until now they met several times a week, but the meetings always ended up being the same.

He didn't like hurting Diva's feelings, nor sacrificing her happiness so that he could destroy the organization which had begun his descent from growing happiness into despair, but in the end, it was all a matter of priorities, and he wouldn't allow himself to be happy until he'd successfully put Nathan's murderer to rest.

"His _first _murderer anyway." Reeve reflected, not having forgotten for a _second _that he'd been the one that finally ended his friend's life, and the last possibility for things between them to end positively.

After that night, when he killed both Nathan and Amshel, and had taken the device which controlled unconscious chiropterans from the latter's clutches, Solomon had gone to be with Saya, Karl going after her in his own way and never being heard from by the enterprise again. Nathan had stayed with them, acting pretty much the same way he had before, and James, as always, remained loyal to Diva.

Neither Saya nor her chevalier had attacked Diva again, nor had the Red Shield for that matter; due to their claims of having weapons which could combat the chiropterans, they likely already had samples of Saya's blood which they had put into mass-production.

It had only been with a bit of hesitation that he had his parents killed so that he could inherit their fortune, for the sake of his cause, and even if you didn't consider the "war" between humans and chiropterans, he essentially controlled a vast majority of the world, to one degree or another.

The circumstances surrounding the deaths of his rival companies' essential management staff had been suspicious, but the scientific curiosity of an undiscovered animal murdering- almost _assassinating _specific people had lessened much of the threats of investigation into his business, and those that _had _intended to investigate ended up dying of causes that seemed more natural.

With months of development had come the advancement of chiropteran genetic technology, and all chiropterans produced now, Corpse Corp or otherwise, were now fully susceptible to the device which he controlled and would do whatever he commanded, with their possible assignments' complexity growing greater in potential by the day.

He had all of the tools that he "needed" now to bring down the Red Shield, and ensure that the bastard primarily responsible for tearing down his world- _their _world, would soon be dead.

One could only imagine what they were doing in Iceland, but he didn't care. In the end, they were nothing but humans, and even if they had _machine guns _with blood-tipped bullets, the shear number of chiropterans Reeve could produce dwarfed any and all of their attempts to mount an offense. And with his lack of public appearances, he wasn't going to take the chance of being assassinated by some pawn with a gun.

Reeve's demonic little left arm, his badge of shame from this turn in his life, itched as he pushed open the door at the end of the hall, on his way to see James so that they could plan their _own_ trip to Iceland.

The fire in him burned stronger, hotter, but the area around it felt colder and colder as time went on.

The sooner he could get this burden off of his mind the better.


	43. Focus

_**Focus.**_

_**It is a word many use, but that few understand.**_

_**After all, how do you tell the difference between complete concentration, and a mind too inept to pay attention to more than one thing at a time?**_

_**The answer is, you can't. At least not when you're the one who believes they're focusing.**_

_**However, when you **_**are **_**focused, you become capable of achieving goals and completing tasks you might normally think impossible, and that is one of the marks of true focus.**_

_**But, even when it **_**is **_**real focus, you can become too focused on one thing, and fail to notice other, crucial elements.**_

* * *

"We know where Maxim Kirill is." He told James, who had been overseeing a demonstration of the newest type of chiropteran, or rather, the mass production version of a chevalier which was capable of individual thought; it was only on a "battle" level, it could not "think" for itself, but rather, react uniquely to a situation. It was the strongest breed they'd produced thus far. Yet it still didn't surprise him when the stern-faced man asked "When do we leave?"

He liked that about James; the entire world could be falling down around him, but if he had a mission to accomplish, he would focus only on that, and get it done, regardless of any undesirable consequences for him that would result from it.

"Now." He responded, turning away.

James handed the headset to another man who looked down through the Plexiglas at the demonstration and then walked to Reeve, both of them departing the room in stride and walking out into another one of those random halls you seem to see all over the place.

"Where?"

"In Iceland."

"Iceland?" James asked, his voice showing the rare signs of being unsure.

"I don't know why he went there; he _is_ there, however. I know that."

They turned a corner, and the air felt fresher; they were growing closer to the exit.

"Once he's dead?"

"There is no absolute guarantee that the Red Shield will outright fall apart; after all, he took command once, there could always be another Maxim Kirill." He spoke, internally wincing at the thought of another person like him.

"They're _all _like him, once you get down to it." He thought as they continued down the hall they'd turned to; the random little working humans got out of their way as they passed.

"And if the Red Shield _does _fall apart?" James asked as they turned one more corner, coming almost face-to-face with a door. Two guards stood beside it, but showed no intent to stop them from passing through the defended doorway.

"In that case…" He spoke, turning the door handle and pushing the door open, revealing the jet that was already prepped to take them to their location.

"The only considerable obstacle in our way will be crushed, and we can move on."

Reeve walked in front of James as they walked across the grass to the runway outside, and to the private jet that awaited them with an opened entrance door and steps to help them up inside of it.

The jet hadn't been started yet, but the wind blew at their clothes, and seemed too cold for some of the humans, who instinctively brought their bodies "in" to stay warm.

"Pathetic." He thought, starting to walk up the stairs.

"And what about Saya?" James asked.

Reeve almost skipped a step, but managed to continue normally.

"She isn't a threat anymore; she was either 'dismissed' or left the Red Shield organization. There's no point in tracking her down."

"But her mission is to kill Diva!" James spoke, giving the first signs that he might actually raise his voice as they both entered the jet and the door was pulled closed behind them.

"Her mission _was _to kill Diva. That is all we know. And since she has not shown up recently to do so, one can only speculate on her position, and _speculation _is merely a guess; I'm not interested in guessing."

"But if something threatens an asset then it cannot be ignored." James spoke before he could stop himself.

Reeve's steps down the aisle ceased, and he looked over his shoulder.

"Did you just call Diva an _asset_?"

"That is not what I meant." James spoke.

The man knew Reeve would easily kill anyone that tried to belittle Diva, and for insults far less severe. He _also _likely knew that Reeve was completely capable of killing _him_, but the young man could tell that James' response was not intended to prolong his life; he genuinely regretted referring to Diva in such a way. And that was why Reeve _didn't _kill him.

He looked forward again and both the men continued down the aisle until they reached the seats they preferred and sat down in them.

"The only thing that I think is a threat right now is that man's craftiness; he hasn't launched a full-out attack on us yet, despite not being aware of our advanced 'models' of chiropterans."

"You think he has other plans?" James stated, more than asked.

"When someone has a knife and doesn't see you have a gun behind their back, they'll generally charge you with it; he hasn't tried to 'stab' us yet, so he either knows about the advanced Corpse Corps, or he has something else in mind."

"Leaked information is an impossibility; I've kept track of the progress of the mass production personally and paid special attention to checking for any signs of a traitor."

"Then it's likely the other one; ironically, that is much more difficult to deal with."

"Still, there isn't going to be much more he can do in Iceland than anywhere else."

"It's irrelevant _what _he can or can't do; regardless of what little schemes he comes up with, he'll never be able to kill me. And considering all of his efforts are focused _on _me, in one form or the other, I'm confident that he'll fail."

"No one fucks with my family." He thought, the flashbacks coming to him once more as the jet prepared to take off.

* * *

"Sorry, Diva, I'm busy; another time." He'd said.

Diva drew herself forward slightly as she walked back to her room; an office converted so that she could spend the night wherever Reeve might be staying, in this case, in one of his many "work" buildings.

She felt cold- she'd _been_ feeling cold since the night she saw Reeve change for the second time; since he "left" she'd felt lonely, and from that loneliness came the chill.

"He's too busy to be with me." She thought, turning the handle of her bedroom door and opening it.

"I remember when there wasn't a single thing that could get between him and being with me. Now we barely see each other at _all_." She further reflected while going into her room and closing the door behind her.

There wasn't anything special about the room; it's walls were grey, it had a bed, a dresser, a nightstand, and a lamp on the nightstand. It had its own private bathroom, but other than that, it was a very Spartan-like abode.

Diva sat on the bed and drew herself in more, the cold growing stronger as she felt Reeve moving further and further away from her.

It wasn't that Reeve didn't care enough about her to make the room look nice; she'd wanted it this way. It meant she could be closer to him, so what the place looked like didn't matter, and besides… she didn't want pretty things anymore.

A hand slid down her violet dress, and a sad smile crept onto her face as her eyes threatened to tear up.

"Except for these." She thought.

They were a sign of her commitment to Reeve after all. They _had _been since that night.

"Unbelievable." She spoke out loud in the otherwise vacant room.

Nothing about that night had really seemed real; she'd been announced as "Diva Roswell" and Reeve and she had danced together. Then Saya showed up and told her that she would not try to kill her anymore. It had all been like a wonderful dream.

"The beginning, anyway."

Then Saya told essentially told her they could never live together, Reeve had lost his best friend for the second time, that time by his own hand, and Diva had lost the Reeve she knew.

"No." She thought, her sad smile getting deeper.

If there was one thing Reeve had taught her, out of anything else, it was that people are who they are; there was no other "being" that took over a person when they changed, and ultimately they _were _the same person. So no matter how obsessed he would get with his revenge on humanity, Diva knew that some part of him would always be the kind-hearted, sensitive boy that she'd first come to know and would always love.

Diva had waited over a hundred and fifty years for someone to love her; she could wait one or two more if that was what it would take.

"If that's what he wants to do…" She thought.

A moment later the tears that had threatened to free themselves from her eyes did so, and her face pouted as she leaned over her knees and cried her heart out.

She would always be here for Reeve; it didn't matter if he ignored her, hurt her, if she cried, got angry, was attacked, or maimed. Reeve would always be there for her, and _she _would always be there for _him_.

"There isn't a single thing that can take me away from him."

Then she heard a sound, far away, perhaps even outside the building, and wondered what it was.

* * *

His shoes made a loud sound as he let himself fall from the doorway of the jet, not waiting for the steps which the airport had misplaced to arrive.

In his ears were the blaring of horns and the beeping of vehicles backing up, as well as the roar of their engines. But though it was a subtler sound it's… inevitable dominance of the other noises made the tiding waves the most prevalent sound of all to him as he stepped off the runway and onto the rocky earth.

It was fortunate for them that this runway was so close to the port; it saved them the trouble of going after the Red Shield if they tried to run away upon noticing they were here.

Reeve heard James land behind him; though the man usually did things the "normal" way, due to pure repetition of the process so many times, they didn't have the time to wait for the incompetent airport people to bring them their steps when they weren't necessary to begin with.

The flight had been silent, except for whenever Reeve or James got a business call. So then again it was pretty much fifty-percent silent, fifty-percent business talk.

"Irrelevant." He thought.

"We're here. Now, to get to Red Shield's headquarters." He thought again.

They already knew the general direction which the luxury ship lay in, and now merely looked about the area, making sure there were no cameras or people nearby anymore which would see them… and then they disappeared, leaving blue trails behind them.

As their environment changed from that of an airport, to that of a warehouse district, and then to a port, they noticed that there seemed to in general be a low population count.

"I might wonder why, if it didn't seem suspicious." Reeve thought just as they landed, his shoes making another sound as they hit the concrete. _This _time however, it was the ground right beside the little bridge used to board passengers onto the ship.

There didn't seem to be any people _there either_.

"A trap?" James questioned the environment, more than Reeve.

"Perhaps. Be careful; if they have those bullets with Saya's blood in them in prototype form yet, we could be in a lot more danger than usual.

"My body can handle it, once I change it's form. What about you though?"

"Speed." He replied, before they both flashed onto the boat, their two bodies covering more space in less time than a whole platoon could. In the end, though, Reeve and James both realized there was no one manning the ship, and the only blood they smelled was on the control deck.

In an instant they were there, and gazed at the metal door, which wasn't even locked. Reeve contemplated kicking it in, but opted instead to merely turn the doorknob, announcing their arrival normally, and then opening it at normal speed.

Within lay more walls of metal, covered mostly by computers and the like, with a chair in the middle of the room, facing out the window towards the ocean.

"Understood." He heard a very familiar voice say, before hearing *snap*, like the sound of a cell phone closing.

An elbow was visible around the side of the chair for a moment as it put the cell phone in a pants pocket, and then disappeared again, only for the chair to be turned around and for the man to reveal himself.

Reeve was tempted to scowl as he took in the details of the man, determining that he was Maxim Kirill himself.

"Well, now. You sure took your time getting here, boy. I was starting to wonder if you'd forgotten how to call that fancy private airport service of yours."

His left hand twitched, and he felt it pulsate, threatening to rip right through the glove he usually wore over it.

The bastard that had killed his best friend sat in front of him, alone.

"Now, filth, time to die." He thought as his eyes began to glow.


	44. Selfish

_**Narrow-mindedness is the worst thing about people.**_

_**They only consider their own opinions, feelings, or interpretations of what others' are.**_

_**It is natural, to an extent, due to their being individuals.**_

_**However, that is no excuse for denying taking into account others' **_**true **_**thoughts, as opposed to assuming you know what they are and acting accordingly.**_

_**No one is free from selfish thoughts, not one person in the history of the world has, or ever will, be free of that so long as they remain a person, for it is impossible for one to be all.**_

_**Most don't even have the thought capacity to consider this, but unfortunately, even those who should know better than to assume the world revolves around them, can sometimes forget and lose their true vision of the world.**_

* * *

"So, tell me, what has your spoiled little mind been up to for these past months?"

"You don't have a TV or a radio?" Reeve asked, spite in his tone.

"I have both; information is life in my kind of work; all the guns and bullets in the world aren't worth a damn if you can't find the enemy. Just like you can't kill the enemy if you don't know what to use."

"You're referencing the creation of prototype weapons of Saya's blood." James stated.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not."

"Explain."

"Is he the leader of your little enterprise, or are _you_, _boy_?"

He may as well have been reading him the first chapter of the Lord of the Rings for all Reeve cared.

"What's the point of taunting me if you don't have any hope of surviving?" He responded, not taking the bait.

The man actually chuckled at that, though it was a brief one with a mocking tone.

"What a naïve punk; there isn't anyone else on this ship but me and you two. What's the point of having all that power if you don't have a _brain_?"

"You're arrogant; it's not surprising that you would wait here, alone, for us to show up, thinking you could shoot me with some kind of special bullet."

Once again, a mocking chuckle emanated from the man's throat.

"Like all brats, you think everything revolves around you."

His eyes narrowed.

"What was that?"

"Reeve, don't let him goad you." James spoke.

"No, in this case, he _should _listen. It was because he was so focused on killing me and thinking he was invincible that he's going to realize what he should have known from the start."

"Speak already."

A flash of a grin darted across the man's face.

"Attacking your body isn't the only thing we can do; did you leave any chevaliers back home to guard your girl?"

Reeve's eyes flared and he lunged across the room, his left hand tearing through the glove and aiming like a spear for the man's chest.

However, as the hand neared Maxim's chest, he saw figures come through the windows behind him, and felt hands grab his arm before it reached its target.

"What?" He screamed in his head as he noticed what had to of been chevaliers keeping him from killing the bastard.

Another flash of a grin crossed the man's face as he stood up normally.

"That girl's stronger than chevaliers, but with the thirty of these that we took after we raided the ship that you sent to deliver them here, she won't be able to do much at all."

He tried to push past them harder, but couldn't manage to.

"You son of a bitch! If you have her raped again I'll-"

"What I did _before _determined whether she could be impregnated by a human or not. There'd be no point in doing that again. But if we find out she isn't pregnant, then we'll find out whatever _else _we can about her."

Reeve didn't get the chance to demand an explanation before James had attacked both of the chevaliers holding his arm from the left side, allowing him to trip up the other two, and plunge his left hand through the brain of one, crushing the insides and pulling the vital organ from the now permanently-dead thing's skull.

The remaining three positioned themselves in the two _real _chevaliers' way as Maxim turned around towards the windows and pulled a rope from his jacket, already prepped, and tied a knot around the supports of one of the window frames.

"The bastard had it planned out from the beginning!" He thought as he started towards the man again; a chevalier blocking his path.

"Move!" He shouted at the thing, ramming into the mass-produced chevalier's body, crushing its ribs and sending it hurtling out through the window next to the one Maxim was heading down.

However, before he could do the same to the damned human, one of the two remaining chevaliers got in his way again, leaving the other to try and block James.

Reeve's hands and the "chevalier's" locked together as both struggled to push the other off-balance. For a moment, they were evenly matched, but as Reeve's eyes began to glow their own individual colors again and the shining of his damned left arm brightened, his strength magnified with his temper and his left hand crushed the "chevalier's" right before tearing the arm from his enemy and smashing the shoulder joint against the thing's skull.

His second opponent fell out of his way and he spotted Maxim standing outside the window, checking his grip on the rope. He was even wearing rappelling gloves.

The hand shone even brighter, as if displaying its desire to penetrate the chest of the main person involved in the necessity of its creation, and Reeve lunged towards him once again.

It pierced through the air.

"No!"

Reeve snapped his gaze down towards where Maxim had rappelled, and was met by several men with assault rifles who must have recently boarded the ship.

Fire erupted from the barrels of their guns and hit Reeve as he started to climb out of the window. The pain it caused him was absolutely miniscule in comparison to his desire to kill his _real _enemy, but mere seconds afterwards he felt the parts of his body which the bullets hit go numb and fell back into the room on his back just as he saw the head of the fake chevalier James had been facing roll to the wall of the windows.

"Reeve, what's the matter?" James's stern voiced questioned him as the dark-skinned chevalier came over to him and ripped open the area of his shirt around one of the bullet-holes.

They both looked at it-

-and saw that the skin had already healed.

Mentally, Reeve gave a sigh of relief at the knowledge that he hadn't been shot with Saya's blood, or at least not a pure enough version of it that it would actually cause him to die.

At the same time, he was furious that he'd failed to kill the man whom he'd come here for, and that he not only had escaped, but also sent a force to attack Diva and do who knew what to her.

"James…" Reeve coughed.

"Go after them, I'll be right after you."

James didn't ask him if he would be alright; they both knew he would live, and anything past that would be irrelevant.

"Understood." He said, and then the man jumped out the window.

Reeve heard him land on the deck below, and then heard nothing.

* * *

The gurney made a clattering noise as it was pulled along the floor down the hall. The sound echoed throughout the hall, and came back at the "drivers" of the vehicle; four men dressed in tactical combat gear with their guns slung around their backs.

Atop the gurney was a body bag, within it a body, as well as other pieces of it.

The soldiers and the gurney passed multiple people, none of which seemed concerned that a filled body-bag was being pulled down the hall of an "office" building by soldiers. Then again, most office buildings weren't an extended headquarters of Red Shield.

As the gurney moved along the cold floor, the body bag that lay on it shook slightly from side to side.

It was a good thing the Red Shield members were all desensitized to death, and that the gurney was actually swaying back and forth a bit as it travel towards its destination; if they'd paid more attention the passersby would have noticed that the body within was moving on its own.

Eventually the soldiers reached a set of titanium double doors, the kind that almost stereotypically looked like the impenetrable entrance to an evil genius or secret agency's lair.

A camera above where the doors met watched them constantly, and someone who was able to see through it signaled for them to be let in, and the impenetrable titanium doors opened, allowing them passage through.

Once again the men and the gurney began moving, and the doors closed behind them.

They weren't traveling long this time, now through bleached-white hallways, before they reached an operation room and pushed the doors to it open with the front of the gurney.

Inside awaited a man dressed as a doctor, but with a disposition of that of an interrogation specialist.

"You all certainly took your time." He spoke in an almost tired tone, as if their "incompetence" was taxing both his body and mind.

"Come on, now, show me what we've got here."

"Yes, sir." One of the soldiers spoke. And then the other held the top of the bag flat as he pulled the zipper down and the world was able to see its occupant again, gasping and choking though the person was.

Only a torso remained completely intact, though the other limbs had been recovered and placed in the bag. Despite having been separated from their "trunk", all of the extremities seemed to still be alive, if only just barely.

The person, meanwhile, who was still alive despite having lost so much blood, was breathing heavily as the oxygen came hard and what remained of the body's blood continued to seep out through the unhealed wounds.

Beneath the person lay a dark reddened mane, which almost acted like a holy cloth on which someone would travel before being buried. However, it was red, because it had been stained so deeply by blood that even the natural blackness of the hair's hue was overcome.

The breaths, though deep, and coming more from the stomach than the upper frame, were strangely high-pitched for a dismembered torso, and in a way, she was still attractive. That was if you counted that her eyes were barely open, that her body was horribly bruised, and that she had been completely amputated.

"What is _this_?" The doctor stated in disgust.

"The subject, sir; she's the one we were sent after."

"I don't mean the _subject_; I mean what did you do with the limbs?"

"Our orders were to remove them, sir; we were told she was too dangerous."

"And then when she stopped _moving _you should have put them back _on_. In this condition who _knows _how long it will take for them to fully heal?"

His voice grew colder.

"How can I do a proper dissection if I don't even have a whole specimen to work with? Now put them back!"

"Yes, sir." The soldier responded before they began to do so.

The doctor gazed at the tray of glistening instruments, and they shone brightly in the reflection of his eyes.


	45. True Bond

_**Bonds are not concrete.**_

_**They are neither rigid, nor flexible.**_

_**Most "friends" truly only barely care for one another, and only continue being in each other's presence due to human nature; the desire to be in a group, where they stand a better chance of survival.**_

_**This is how most "friendships" are, and most of those that claim otherwise are either unaware of this, or will not accept it.**_

_**But **_**true **_**bonds are not reasonable; they do not shift, nor sway, nor shake, nor break; they are simply things that are and will be, regardless of day, situation, or place.**_

_**These kinds of relationships are, in terms of quality, far superior to any other, but as in all other things, are rare due to such nature.**_

_**And when you **_**do **_**have that kind of bond with someone, it often causes you more problems than a normal one would.**_

_**However, that is the proof of your caring; your love. That you are willing to endure pain time after time, putting the other's happiness before your own, shows that yours is no "normal" relationship.**_

_**That is a **_**true **_**bond.**_

* * *

"Diva."

It felt like he wasn't even worthy to say her name, after he'd abandoned her to go kill Maxim.

He didn't regret not bringing her with him; she would have been in danger, though whether it would have been more or less dangerous was debatable.

Reeve regretted leaving her alone when he should have been aware that if he was not weak enough to be attacked directly, that a man with a military-process mind; an objective person focused on defeating the enemy, would look for other ways to harm him.

According to reports, the entire building in which she'd been staying, the nerve center of their operations against the Red Shield, had been destroyed; Maxim likely considered it killing two birds with one stone, as the saying went.

However, Reeve didn't give half a damn about some building or some operation when it was compared with Diva's safety.

He gave a sigh, realizing how redundant that sounded considering how he'd been acting.

They were flying back to the states in the same jet which they'd come here in.

James hadn't been able to catch up with them, with various squads being left behind as the group retreated to slow his progress until it was all-but impossible for the chevalier to match the speed of any other ones Maxim might have kept in reserve to help steal him away to some hidden location, which would likely be mobile.

They had no idea where Diva had been taken, all they knew was that there were no signs of her, that everyone else was dead, and that corpses and crystallized blood had been found throughout the room she'd been staying in.

James had been worried she was killed with Saya's blood, but Reeve informed him it could just as likely be the blood of the dead mass-produced chevalier, which were the corpses found in her room, and that it would go against the goals Maxim had stated to kill her, at least before they "found out" whatever they wanted from her.

That wasn't how he knew she was still alive though; he could feel that she was. It wasn't as strong as being able to feel what her emotions or pain were, but he _could _tell that she was still alive. It should have meant something to him, but it didn't. It made him feel terrible, but he kept himself from being able to feel relief at the knowledge that she was still alive, and he would continue doing so until he'd saved her and apologized to the girl.

"If you're the cause of pain for someone you love, why _not _feel bad about it?" He thought.

It didn't change much, sure, but at the very least it showed that you were willing to endure pain for someone, as opposed to just trying to "get over" it so that the pain would go away, which was just a selfish notion.

"I've been selfish enough for one day."

He'd been selfish enough for a _lifetime_.

But even if that was his nature, at the very least he could _try _to do something for someone else, like he'd been starting to before things became so much more complicated.

* * *

"There, that's better." The "doctor" spoke, the girl now "reassembled".

They'd put her in a hospital chair and then secured her there with some kind of plastic strips that kept her from moving.

Her body had begun to heal itself, but she was exhausted, and had almost no blood left. It had almost made her faint just connecting her limbs back to her body.

She hadn't felt that much pain in a long time.

"Reeve…where are you?" She thought, wishing he would come for her.

Diva had known he could be in danger when he got wherever he was going, but had refrained from trying to go with him so that she would not cause him any problems. But she'd never thought that they would come after _her_.

"He'll come for me. I know it." She continued to think.

It made her feel guilty, knowing that Reeve would have to go out of his way to save her; it made her feel bad.

If Diva could cry now, she would.

They were going to put her on the operating table when the doctor had gotten a call on his cell phone.

Diva couldn't tell who the person on the other end was; her senses were dull now, but whoever he was the man seemed to be the doctor's superior as he addressed the man respectfully.

After he'd hung up, however, the respect had disappeared, and he'd grumbled to himself, saying that they would have to wait.

That had been hours ago, and though they had occasionally allowed on person or another to leave to get something to eat or go to the bathroom, everyone seemed bored.

She remembered when that'd been all she had to worry about.

Suddenly the speaker in the corner of the room crackled slightly, and a voice informed him that "he" was here.

The doctor said they understood, and the speaker crackled off, at which time he muttered about how the man had taken his time.

It wasn't long until the doors to the room were pushed open by two helmeted and masked figures, another person in-between them that looked very different-

"_You_!" She spoke in anger while trying to free herself from the restraints as Maxim Kirill entered the room.

The suited man entered the room, followed by his "bodyguards" and told the soldiers that they could leave. With that permission the soldiers left, bringing the gurney with them.

As the doors swung closed, Maxim walked closer to her, though still out of lunging reach, as her remaining energy was spent and her efforts to free herself ceased, replaced by the heavy breathing again.

It didn't keep her from glaring at him, however.

The man met her cold gaze with an impartial one, typical of him.

"This is how this will work," He began.

"I am going to ask you questions, if you know the answers, tell me what I want to know, if you don't know the answers, speak. If you answer enough of my questions or do not know any answers, we will sedate you during the dissection."

Her glare didn't falter.

"And if you _refuse _to answer…" He spoke, looking at the "doctor", who came over to her and pulled the scalpel in his hand along her fingers, severing all the tendons and causing her tremble at the reintroduction of pain to her body.

"You'll heal if we give you enough blood, and you don't need that much to heal."

Her torturer moved a foot or so away from her, still holding the bloody scalpel as the lack of blood coming from her fingers allowed the severed white strands within to be seen.

"How advanced are the chiropterans that Goldsmith enterprises have managed to create?"

She swallowed, and clenched her jaw shut.

Maxim looked at the doctor, and she felt the scalpel slice through her neck muscle until it went slack, pulling a mew from the bottom of her throat.

He waited for the man to move away, and then spoke again.

"How many chiropterans does he have under his control?"

Her breathing grew deeper and uneven, but her mouth remained shut.

Another gesture, and the knife slit through her temple, and she felt blood cough into her throat.

"Are you finished yet?" The man asked her, completely insensitive to her feelings.

Her trembling and her uneven breaths were almost at the same rhythm now as blood ran down the side of her cheek.

"He isn't going to come for you-"

Her eyes flared and she spat blood several feet away, into his face.

If a furious gaze could kill, then Maxim Kirill would be burning already. But as it were, he didn't even blink as the blood slid down his face.

"…how does he control the chiropterans?"

She continued glaring at him as blood slid down from the corner of her lips.

"Her eyes." He told the man, and a hand came around, holding her head still, as the scalpel came in from the corner of her vision.

* * *

"Reeve."

He blinked, and saw James standing in the aisle.

"We've landed."

The young man forced himself up out of the chair, and put his left hand into a pocket, since no glove covered it anymore.

"Any word on Diva's location?"

"We've found a large building which the Red Shield secretly owns and operates; likely it is where they conduct their research."

"Then why did we land here?" He asked, recognizing the environment outside with his peripheral vision through the window; it was another one of their helipads.

"It's located in the mountains. We can take a helicopter most of the way, but one is not ready yet."

"Then _get _one ready."

"I already have one being prepped." James responded, not affected by Reeve's tone.

"Alright. Then let's get to where the helicopter is; we don't have the time to wait for it to be ready before leaving."

"Understood."

They both started down the aisle, and James was the first one down the steps. Reeve stayed at the top and looked off into the sky.

"Diva doesn't know anything about the operations we've been running." He thought.

"They'll spend time questioning her, and if she doesn't know anything…"

Diva should be fine until they got there. They didn't know he'd kept her out of their "business", so long as they kept the questions coming, she should be fine.


	46. For another

_**When you truly love someone, beyond those fake ties you have to family because they're related to you, or to morals that aren't even yours, you'll do anything for them.**_

_**Individuality and thus, selfishness, inevitably interfere, but in the end your caring for them will overcome such a petty nuisance as self-absorption.**_

_**For that person, you can not be stopped. **_

_**For that person, you can not be slowed.**_

_**And for that person you will do whatever it takes to help them in their time of need.**_

_**Above all your motivations, what you'll want, more than anything, is to put an end to their pain. **_

_**But what if you didn't understand how much pain they had been through?**_

_**If you weren't prepared for the truth, and yet you learned it, what would you do?**_

* * *

"Put her back together again." Maxim told the doctor, finally wiping the blood off of his face.

"Then do the dissection. Once you've gathered all the information you can from it, call this number." He said, giving him a sheet of paper with a phone number on it.

"They'll come and clean everything up."

The doctor put the sheet of paper into a pocket of his bloodstained lab coat and nodded.

"One more thing." Maxim said as he walked over to the doors of the room and pushed one open.

"Keep her alive. And keep her awake."

"Awake?"

"The more pain she goes through, the more pain he'll experience if he finds her; the more damage it will do to his psyche. So long as you keep her organs connected you can do whatever you want to her."

"Understood, sir."

With that Maxim left the room, and let the door swing closed behind him.

* * *

The roar of the helicopter's blades should have deafened him, but then again, he didn't really hear them to begin with.

It'd taken them over five hours to get here once they'd gotten into the helicopter, and not a moment of those long hours hadn't been occupied by Reeve's worries of how Diva was.

If he knew Maxim at all, the man had likely gone straight from Iceland to the facility, which meant he had likely been there before they'd even arrived at the landing strip next to one of their corporation buildings in America.

"There's no way he would ask her questions for five hours. And I doubt he would just let her go once they were done." He thought, stepping out of the air transport and down onto the grass.

Reeve had opted to ignore "safety considerations" and decided to land as close to the research building as possible, as opposed to the closest _helipad_. This could have resulted in a crash or some other problem, but it _had _resulted in them getting about fifty miles closer to their final destination.

"Which leaves us only two miles to travel on foot." He thought.

Or rather, by air; they weren't going to _walk _to the building which held Diva against her will.

After James got out, they told the helicopter and its remaining occupants to leave, and even though it looked, and by now, felt strange to run through the grass, they did so until they were both sure the helicopter was far enough away that no one would see them. Then they disappeared into the air, leaving the telltale blue flashes behind them.

The countryside barreled by as they grew closer and closer to the research building, and Reeve could already feel that he was growing closer to Diva.

It was strange though; as time went on his sense of where Diva was had become more general. It didn't become weaker, but rather, it felt like she was going to more than one place at the same time, and Reeve didn't know how that was possible.

Reeve's pace quickened, and the remaining mile was traversed in half a minute.

He dashed across the parking lot, over cars and around poles, until he reached the front doors of the building, and rent them to pieces as he slammed through them, landing on the floor of the lobby within.

Everyone in the vicinity was startled at such an explosive entrance, but within a few moments he'd succeeded in tearing or crushing all of them to death, so it didn't really matter.

There were two halls to either side of the desk, and he felt like he should go down the left one, so he did. While on his way he slammed into some young office girl, crushing likely everything in her torso and sending her sprawling into a wall as he continued past her and to the corner.

James knew that Reeve could tell where Diva was, and though he wanted to save her as well, the objective man and Reeve had already come to an agreement on the way here that he would be the distraction. It only made sense; his "chiropteran form" had skin harder than steel, so any and all prototype chiropteran-killing weapons would be less effective on him.

Because of this, no other chevalier followed him down the halls that he traversed, killing or destroying anything that was in his way and ignoring whatever pain he might feel when someone succeeded in shooting him before being impaled on his left arm.

The hallways all looked the same to him, and it felt like he was some kind of rat in a maze, with his only advantage over other rats being that he could "smell the cheese" that he was heading for.

Soon enough he came to a set of what looked like titanium double doors, which obviously separated the "classified" area from the more public one.

There was no visible way to enter, so he just readied his left arm and tore through the doors with its diamond-like shell before jumping through them and once again following his senses.

It didn't take long this time before he came to an operating room with two swinging doors.

He took a breath, feeling her just on the other side of the door, and then pushed his way inside-

-and she wasn't there.

"What?!" He shouted before realizing that what he was able to sense in her must have been her blood, and that it must have been _her _blood that he saw coating a bolted down chair.

"Damnit, I got here too late!"

He slammed a hand into the wall behind him, crushing it and forcing the concrete material to blast out into the hallway.

As he did, Reeve saw something move, over by one of those moving trays surgeons used to hold their tools, pan of water, etc.

There was a bloody sheet behind it, completely white in the rare spots where it wasn't covered in crimson.

He slowly stepped towards it.

"Diva?" He wondered as he grew closer.

However, his hopes were dispelled when he saw what looked more like a middle-aged man draw up from behind the tray and fire a gun at him.

As the bullets hit him, almost exactly the same time that the gun barked out, he felt that numb sensation from before returning to him, and knew that this man must have access to those prototype bullets.

Reeve fel; back into the side of the chair, getting the back of his shirt covered in Diva's blood as the "doctor" seemed overjoyed that he'd managed to "subdue" a chiropteran all on his own.

"Unimaginable! Two subjects in one day!"

"…two?" Reeve questioned, trying to sit up.

The bloodied surgeon walked around the side of the tray, still aiming at his torso with the handgun.

"Another one was brought in earlier; a girl."

His jaw clenched tight and his left hand curled into a fist, prompting the doctor to shoot him several more times, a grunt escaping his throat with the last bullet.

"You certainly _are _her chevalier; you have the same attitude that she did."

Reeve's body froze, and he was hit with the obvious realization that he must have been the one…

"It will be difficult though, considering my operating environment is unsuitable and that there is no one to help restrain you."

Reeve's bangs covered his eyes as he gazed down at the floor.

"You're the one that hurt her, _aren't _you?"

"If you want to put it that way, I don't really care. Just be glad that Maxim is gone and doesn't have any questions for _you _or you would have to go through this twice like she did."

His left hand uncurled, and he felt a cold sweat come down his body.

"…you know where they took her, _don't _you?"

"It doesn't concern you." The doctor spoke, raising the gun to aim at his forehead.

The gun fired, and the room was filled with blackness.

Another shot rang out, temporarily illuminating the room with a yellowish glow and giving it a source of light other than the two alternatively-colored glowing orbs which glared at the doctor, despite the room being pitch-black after the lights had been destroyed.

Within a few seconds there was a crunching sound, a yelp of pain and surprise, and the sound of something metal clattering to the floor.

Reeve threw the doctor through the swinging double doors softly enough to not kill him, but hard enough to make sure it would hurt a _lot_.

Before his body could even land on the floor, Reeve grabbed him by the neck and pushed him up against the wall, his broken gun arm dangling limply in the air.

"You're going to show me where they took her." He told the man, his eyes still glowing.

"H- how?"

"Those bullets only affect the area which they shoot, and one does not need to use the torso to operate the limbs, so long as the spine and nerves linking them remain intact. Now show me."

He could hear the doctor's teeth chattering, but he seemed more driven insane by the pain in his arm than intimidated.

"And why should I do that?"

Reeve drew him down, bringing their faces close enough that the man could feel his now abnormally-hot breath coming from his mouth as his glaring eyes seemed to emanate a heat of their own.

"Because you're not the only one who knows about humanoid anatomy."

The terror that the doctor should have felt before became evident now, and he agreed, if stupidly like he didn't comprehend.

"Take me to where she's being kept." He told the doctor, and then shoved him to the floor.

"And _hope _that she's still alive."


	47. Torn apart

_**…**_

* * *

It was black. It was all black.

She saw nothing.

She heard nothing.

She said nothing.

She did nothing.

She could _feel_ though.

A coldness which she'd never felt in the history of her life encompassed her insides, which were no longer her insides.

She could barely think, thoughts long gone in the wake of pain.

It hurt.

She wanted to cry, but she couldn't.

She wanted to beg for help, but she couldn't.

She wanted to do something- _anything _that might lessen the hurt, but she couldn't.

Her mind was gone, absent of minerals and blood.

But one thought remained, which had never left her mind.

"Reeve." She thought. Unable to think of anything else.

* * *

"Down here." The doctor told him.

He walked through the doorway the man had just opened and down the steps after him.

"A freezer?" He asked; it was the only reason he could think of to keep her in the basement.

"There are multiple basements." The bloodied doctor explained, still holding his shattered arm; his body's natural pain-killers were in effect.

"Each one is individual of the others and _some _even have multiple levels below them. To my knowledge, this one has only ever been used for storage."

The doctor slid his identity card through the reader, and it gave an electronic ring, informing him he'd been accepted.

"I've never been in this one though."

Then he opened the door, and Reeve saw nothing but concrete floor, illuminated just barely by the low level of light that reached from the hallway down the steps and past them, into the room.

Reeve stepped past him and looked around, but he couldn't see anything; it was pitch black in here.

"Where's the light-switch?" He requested.

A moment later he heard something, and turned around.

Another gun was being aimed at him, this time at his face.

The doctor grinned semi-maniacally, now letting his limp right arm dangle at his side as he aimed the handgun at Reeve with his left.

"For a smart boy, you sure are stupid."

"That has the special bullets loaded in it, I assume?" Reeve questioned, impartial.

"It does; and if fired into your brain, it should suitably paralyze you until we can take more permanent methods of disarming you."

He smelled something; _sensed _something. It must have shown on his face, because the bloodied doctor seemed confused for a moment, before he lurched up and dropped the handgun as a squelching sound was heard.

The room seemed even darker now, though that was due to a tall man in black clothing with a case slung over his shoulder standing in the doorway.

A moment later, he withdrew his arm, and the doctor fell dead to the floor.

His eyes narrowed only slightly; they were still glowing.

The other man's, the person whom he recognized as Saya's chevalier, Haji did not.

Moments later he heard footsteps coming down the short stairs that led to the basement, and Saya's chevalier stepped aside as he observed the girl whom he'd last seen before striking her into a wall in an opera theater, many, many days ago now.

She wasn't wearing a dress; jeans and a long-sleeve t-shirt made her look almost completely different, as opposed to the outfits Reeve had previously borne witness to.

She didn't seem happy over the man's death, but didn't seem _saddened either_.

If Reeve had to guess, he would assume that she was merely reluctant for someone to have died.

"What are you doing here?" Was the first sentence to come out of Reeve's mouth, as opposed to the typical "thank you" one might usually speak if saved from being shot in the head.

"The same thing that you are. Or at least… I have the same goal." She responded almost hollowly.

She was obviously referring to the fact that they had likely not killed dozens of people on their way here.

"You're looking for Diva?"

"Yes. I am."

"Why?"

"I heard they'd… captured her."

"They did."

"So I came to see what I could do."

"You're not here to kill her then?"

Saya shook her head.

"I didn't."

Reeve's gaze softened, if only just barely.

"Then let's go find Diva."

Saya nodded once more, but all three of their gazes drew to the side of the doorway, and at the throaty, gurgling chuckling as the seemingly non-dead doctor drew himself up the wall.

Rather, perhaps not dead _yet _was the better term to use, since he seemed to be just as human as before, just not quite "done" yet.

"If that's really what you want…"

He chuckled once more and then gave a final, long exhale as he pushed the light switch up and slid down the wall, finally a corpse.

Strangely, though, only one light seemed to turn on, at the far end of the room.

Saya was the first to turn towards the light-

-she withdrew towards the doorway, as if struck in the head with a hammer, as her body trembled and Haji had to keep her from falling to the floor.

"No. No, no, no, no no…"

"What is it?" Reeve questioned, turning towards the light-

-his eyes widened, and by the time they'd fallen upon what lay beneath the spotlight, the glowing hue was long gone from them.

A single tear fell from his eye, landing on his cheek and sliding down it to his chin, where it finally dripped off and fell to the floor.

The basement was a cross between a dungeon, a serial killer's collection room, and an old meat-storage area; thick metal hooks on chains hung from the dark grey concrete ceiling, suspending various organs, bones, and body parts from them like a macabre art gallery.

Their "path" down the center was bordered by rows of these displays on either side, and when areas of actual skin were visible, they were noticeably pale.

Somewhere amongst the rows, Reeve saw what looked like a black cape, but knew was actually just long hair.

He recognized most, if not _all _of the other things as well, which just made them harder to see. But it was what lay below the single bulb, illuminating the barely-breathing thing like a spotlight, that was the most difficult to look at.

He didn't see Diva.

He didn't hear Diva.

He didn't speak her name.

He did nothing, as he saw a grotesque parody of what used to look like a human being, displayed in a foldout metal chair like a décor piece in some ghoul's abode.

It had no eyes, nor ears, nor a tongue, or a nose, or skin; only a skull remained.

No layers of muscle blocked the view to its organs, which lay piled beneath the head like some kind of impromptu stand to raise it up higher, which were uncovered by bone.

Not a limb nor anything else was attached to the mass of vital organs and Reeve realized two things; one, this was not a storage place for a dissected specimen, it was a grisly example for someone to view, with the intent of completely destroying their morale and will to fight.

The second thing that he noticed, which was the hardest for him to accept, was that the barely-breathing thing he saw propped up on the chair like a cruel joke from a demon, was in fact, Diva.

"No. It can't be." Saya argued, completely dumbstruck by what she was seeing.

It brought him back to the world.

"Saya…" He began, his tone calm, and controlled.

"Go up into the hall."

"What?" Saya spoke, her voice going into a harsh whisper as opposed to a shout; it reminded him of the difference between something imploding and exploding.

"Don't you _care_?"

"Yes!" He spoke, his voice shaking as he kept himself from crying, making her fall out of "attack mode".

"But you don't know the anatomy of people; there isn't any point in you staying down here when you can't do anything."

"I can-"

"Saya…"

She fell silent.

"I think it's best for all of us if you go up into the hall."

For several moments she remained there, but eventually she nodded, and Haji helped her up the steps.

Once he was sure they couldn't see him anymore, he turned around, looking at "Diva" once more.

The jawbone was drawn up slightly, as if she were smiling.

"Like this, and she's still able to smile about me being here." He thought, almost breaking down at the realization.

He breathed shakily for a few moments, looking down at the floor, and then his breathing returned to normal, and he looked up at Diva with a small smile.

His footsteps echoed in the room as he crossed it, oblivious or ignorant to what hang from the ceiling as he grew closer to the beautiful girl.

Reeve reached her, and felt the beautiful blue eyes gazing up at him, even though they physically weren't there. He heard a soft sound come from her throat, signifying that she was happy to see him. He spoke to her, telling the girl that she would be fine. And he ran a hand along her head, "petting" her and trying to ease her mind.

It was Diva; she was still here.

Regardless of what the cruel physical world might have done to her, Diva, as the person who she was, remained.

He placed his skull against hers, and for a moment it felt like no skin or muscle lay between them.

Then he set to putting back together what the world had sought to tear apart.


	48. Joy & Fury

_**Joy and fury are "two sides of the same coin"; both are significant emotional responses to situations.**_

_**Occasionally one can even find one immediately following the other.**_

_**Still, the circumstances in which one becomes happy or angry are quite different, and happiness occurs when one is content with the situation while anger occurs when one is not.**_

_**However, there are situations where one can be both content with one thing, and not content with another.**_

_**In these cases happiness and hatred mix, one threatening to overcome the other.**_

_**But you must never allow hatred to keep you from being happy when you can.**_

_**Rather… save it for when your source of happiness is not nearby, so that is may remain as pure as it naturally is.**_

* * *

She was still trembling when the last thing was returned to her, but finally it was over. At least, that's what she'd thought.

Her body wouldn't move. It had healed completely, though slowly, but it was as if it had forgotten how to work since being taken apart.

Diva couldn't do anything but continue sitting in the chair, despite his efforts.

"Diva?" He asked her, causing the girl to look up at him.

It hurt.

She could see in his eyes what it was that she'd feared since realizing he _had _come for her, and despite how glad she was that he'd done so, she almost wished he _hadn't _put her back together again.

"I'm sor-"

She thrust her head into his chest and wrapped her arms around him, holding him like an old teddy bear one's parents were threatening to take away.

"Don't."

Diva couldn't see his face, but she knew that she'd surprised him.

"You came for me, that's all that matters."

It took a few moments, but he hugged her back.

"Thank you."

His hollow tone spoke of how much he meant what he'd said; that he was still feeling guilty likely made it very hard for him to understand that she wasn't angry at or upset with him.

Her embrace of him tightened, and she curled her body in.

Reeve held her tighter than before. He knew what was bothering her; she'd lost almost all of her blood, her dress was nowhere to be found, and it was freezing down in this basement; she was bitterly cold.

"I'm sorry, I don't have anything to wrap around you, unless you count my shirt, but it's a bit too torn up to probably do anything." He offered.

She smiled again, despite her feeling of being made of ice.

"It's alright. You can make it up to me by taking me to get a new dress."

Reeve couldn't help but smile himself.

"You're unbelievable." He spoke, and she rested against him more.

"That's why you love me, isn't it?"

"_One _of the reasons." He added, just making her happier.

Their moment ended as they heard footsteps coming down into the basement, and for a moment Diva wondered if those chevalier-things that had disabled her before were coming downstairs, but soon realized that it only sounded like two people were coming down.

"I recognize this feeling." She thought, and sure enough, when she looked over Reeve's shoulder, Diva saw her sister Saya and her chevalier Haji approaching the doorway of the room.

"What are they doing here?" She whispered to him, getting her back rubbed in response.

"They were trying to help you too. I was just the only one down here because… well… you know…"

She nodded as best she could while her head lay on his shoulder, and asked him if she could speak with her sister.

"Sure." He said, turning his head over his shoulder to look at the shorter-haired twin and gesture for her to come over to them.

Diva could see her sister was carrying what looked like a sheet or something similar, likely having known that she had nothing to wear and wanting something to do as Reeve put her back together.

"Stay nearby?" She half-asked, half-stated.

Reeve nodded, and then they separated as Saya came over to her sister and draped the sheet over her.

"…I'm sorry, it's not very thick, but it's all that I could find."

Diva smiled at her sister and leaned in towards her.

For a moment Saya seemed confused, but when Diva kissed her on the cheek and then embraced the girl, her sister seemed to understand.

"Diva…"

"Thank you for coming for me." She spoke in gratitude.

Saya hugged her back, though lightly; a year ago she wouldn't have ever thought this would happen.

"How do you feel?" Saya asked her.

"Not too bad." She responded.

"Once I get some blood I'll be…"

She remembered Saya didn't like talking about blood and things like that.

Saya glanced over her shoulder at Reeve, but Diva shook her head.

"I don't drink from him."

"I see."

"His company can make artificial blood now; they can even flavor it."

"Really?"

"Yes. It's good. Reeve told me once it's like eating jelly beans; you don't have to search around for the flavor you want, you just make a bunch of just those ones."

Diva stretched her body a bit, resting her head on Saya's shoulder and closing her eyes.

"My favorite taste right now is cinnamon."

She felt Saya give a small smile, and hug her tighter.

"You're silly."

They hugged each other tighter, and she wished this moment would never end.

* * *

Reeve almost smiled at the scene as he continued walking away from them, towards the doorway where Haji stood.

He looked past the man to the stairwell, while Haji looked past _him _at the girls.

As Reeve was going to pass him, the man spoke.

"Thank you."

His steps ceased.

"What do you mean?"

"Saya had made it her mission to kill Diva for many years, but I knew that within her heart she genuinely did not want to. You made it possible for them to behave as sisters, instead of enemies."

"It's only a fleeting happiness." He responded.

"You likely know her reasons for not living with Diva; for them to be together as sisters, the corrupted Red Shield organization, its members, my company, its employees, all of the mass produced chiropterans, as well as the ones originally created using delta six seven, and anyone and everyone responsible for the ongoing status of this war, would all have to die."

He started walking again.

"What do you see as the chances of _that _happening? Because I don't think they're very great."

He reached the steps before Haji spoke again.

"I see. That is the way you live."

Reeve stopped for a few more seconds.

"Realism is more important to me than hope; there is no practicality in waiting for luck or some other absurd factor to bring you what you want. And if something isn't likely to happen, then there's no reason to expect it to."

Haji did not respond again.

"Reeve?" He heard spoken from Diva's mouth.

Within a second he was by her side again.

"What is it?"

"I'm sleepy; can we go home now?"

He almost smiled again.

"Of course."

"We should get going." Saya spoke, though hollowly.

Just as Diva showed signs of looking sad, Reeve said that they could give them a ride to wherever they wanted and drop them off. At first Saya seemed reluctant, but at Diva's quiet request, she agreed.

Reeve nodded and pulled out his cell phone, witnessing the marvel of the level of technology available to ridiculously rich people; he had a full signal.

"Why don't you three go on ahead? I'll call the helicopter to come pick us up."

"Reeve?" Diva asked him, sounding somewhat worried.

"Don't worry, I'll be there in a minute. I promise."

She looked straight into his eyes, searching to make sure he meant it.

He managed a small smile and she believed him.

"Alright."

"Saya, you know how to get to the outside, right?"

"Yes, I do."

"Then I'll leave it to you to show her the way out."

It took a few moments, but the sisters rose to their feet and then began walking through the room to the stairway.

Reeve called the radio, the benefit of having a cutting-edge cell-phone which could access radio frequencies, and was soon in contact with the helicopter crew.

"Sir?"

"Come to the destination as planned as soon as possible."

"Understood."

He closed the phone and heard the trio making their way through the hall, away from the basement.

Reeve waited, standing still, patient, until he knew they were out of earshot.

The young man exhaled, and drew his fingers together into their respective palms.

He could see the small pools of blood hanging below many of the chains.

It still smelled the same down here; it was like a meat packing plant.

And he heard the chains rattling as if complaining that they'd lost their treasures.

"…you mother_fuckers_!" He shouted, grabbing the nearest hook and tearing its chain from the fall before lashing both through the air, dragging down a full side of other chains in the process. He reared around and speared his left arm through the air and into a wall, catching several more chains in his grasp before twisting his hand and crushing the links and making them fall apart.

A series of claw marks tore into the wall, only for a whole to appear in another by some invisible force, and the last remaining chains were torn from their places in the ceiling and thrown at the corpse of the dead surgeon, crushing bones on impact.

He threw his head back and roared, the pitch of his animalistic uttering shattering the lone light bulb in the room but not sedating him in the least as he sprung into another wall, once more rending it through with his left hand as he continued tearing the room apart, his limbs getting caught in the chains as he unleashed his pent up fury on the basement of this damned building.


	49. Normal

_**There are many different views on what "normal" is. **_

_**Some say it is when you behave, are sociable, and do as is expected of you.**_

_**Others insist that it is when you act on impulse.**_

_**Regardless of the opinion, the fact remains that there is no such thing as normal, because everyone, and every**_**thing **_**is different.**_

_**When there is it no constant personality or environment, there can be no constant variable which decides what is, and what is not normal.**_

_**Because of this, the closest anyone can get to being "normal" is to simply be in an environment which makes them feel as if they belong within it, regardless of how others view the circumstances.**_

_**After all, in a world where everyone is different to one degree or another, how is the next person any more or less "normal" than you?**_

* * *

The cool wind outside the building helped make both his body and his mind feel better; being in a cramped space while furious was just that much worse, and though chevaliers' bodies did not get wounded easily they could still get hot if said chevalier had exerted a lot of effort.

Five minutes after he'd begun the majority of the building that he went through was destroyed, however, he restrained himself since he didn't want Diva to know how upset he was; the less conflict she was faced with, the better.

Then again, considering the amount of suffering she'd already gone through, the girl should get some manner of _reward _for enduring it all, let alone simply being given an eternal reprieve from it.

"Yet somehow she remains the same. How?" He wondered, seeing the sisters together and noticing Diva's smiling face as she saw him.

"How can she go through all of these things and yet remain so serene?"

He had no idea, but it was one of the things that made him love her so much; no matter what happened in the world, how much destruction was caused, how much pain or sorrow she went through, or even if the world were to _end_, her purity of spirit remained the same.

"Dwelling on cheesy emotional declarations won't solve anything." He mentally resolved.

"What _will _solve things is action, and I've been refraining from acting enough for too long now."

Reeve joined the group and informed them that the helicopter would arrive soon; they were just supposed to wait here.

"A _helicopter_? Aww, those are _loud_."

He couldn't help but smile at the childish complaint, Saya reflecting the notion.

"I'll cover your ears with my hands when it arrives."

Diva beamed again.

"Okay!"

Reeve shook his head and almost chuckled as he looked over at Saya.

"Where did you want us to drop you off, by the way?"

"Shhhh!" Diva said to him, trying to keep the subject from being brought up.

"It's alright, Diva. I can't stay."

Diva frowned and looked down at the ground.

He frowned as well and got a thought.

"Why don't we do something else first?" He offered.

Saya faced him once more, seeming to wonder what he meant.

"Something else?"

"There's bound to be somewhere around here that's a good place to have a picnic, or something like that. We could take you back afterwards."

"But… why?"

Reeve looked back at Diva, who was still looking down at the ground and looking sad.

Saya seemed to understand and smiled.

"Alright."

Diva's spirits immediately sky-rocketed up again and she grabbed Saya's hands and got her face close to her sister's, surprising the girl.

"Really?"

Saya recovered, and nodded.

"Yay!" She hugged her sister to the point that it forced her breath from her body and then ran over to Reeve, giving him a peck on the cheek.

"I _knew _you could still come up with fun things to do!"

"Heh. I guess I'll take that as a compliment."

"Mhm." She said, taking his hand and pulling him over towards Saya so that she could take _her _hand as _well_. Her gaze darted momentarily to Haji and looked directly at him.

"You too." She said.

"You have no more hands." He stated passively.

"Then take Reeve's."

An awkward glance, something he wasn't even aware Haji was capable of, passed between the two men before the elder one walked over to the younger and they instead just stood nearby each other.

"Silly boys." Diva commented in passing, shaking both Reeve's and Saya's hands in her own while waiting for the helicopter to arrive.

"Diva, how am I suppose to cover your ears if you're holding onto one of mine like a fly in a Venus flytrap?" He asked, to which she just shrugged.

"So what will we do at the picnic if we don't have any food?" Saya asked.

"Silly sister, always looking for something to eat."

"Diva!"

The girl giggled.

Saya looked down towards the ground, embarrassed. Reeve imagined she was still far from used to treating her sister like, well, a sister. But she seemed to be doing well so far.

"I imagine we could just go to a town and buy some food there and go have the picnic in a park. I remember seeing a few smaller towns in the area on the way here." Reeve mentioned.

"Do _I _get something to eat, _too_ Reeve?" Diva asked.

"I'll get you the most expensive rare steak imaginable." He informed her, earning a bit of a hop from Diva at the excitement."

"Rare?" Saya asked.

"Because it still has all of the juices necessary to get her to eat it." Reeve explained, keeping it subtle.

"Oh, I see."

"Usually they're really cold. But _Reeve _finds the _best _places to go to get them! I never knew human food could be so tasty! Especially when you use…um…Reeve, what was it?"

"Irish steak sauce."

Diva nodded.

"Yes! Irish steak sauce! It's absolutely delicious, Saya! You should try some!"

"I'm afraid I didn't bring any with me, Diva, and I doubt they'll have an import item in a small town." Reeve told her.

The girl pouted and informed him that he would be getting her _two _steaks in that case, to which he replied with a chuckle. Saya joined in afterwards and eventually Diva laughed as well. Haji tried smiling.

Before they knew it they heard the sound of a helicopter approaching and Diva virtually hopped up and down in excitement as it drew closer, pulling her hands, as well as Reeve's and Saya's to her ears to keep out the loud noise as it got closer and closer and ultimately, set down.

She didn't let go of their hands as they walked over to the helicopter, and Reeve could see a flash of surprise cross the helicopter crews' faces as they realized that the cold-hearted little CEO of the company which they worked for was being led around by an attractive teenage girl just like anyone else his age.

Haji followed after them and soon they had all entered the helicopter. The chevalier whose hands remained free slid the door closed behind them to help quiet the sound somewhat; it dampened the volume enough so that Diva allowed Reeve and Saya's hands to come down, away from her ears.

"So, where are we going?" Diva asked Reeve, her face happy and her eyes big and blinking like the child she could always be interpreted as.

"Unfortunately though my intelligence is of a rather high level, I don't quite know the entire expanse of the United States of America by heart. So I'm afraid I may have to look it up."

"How will you do that?" She asked him.

Reeve pulled out his phone and accessed the internet browser on it.

"Like this." He responded, feeling amused.

"Smart alec." She spoke with a smile, leaning her head on Saya's shoulder again as he searched for information on the surrounding area. Ideally they would be able to find somewhere for her to get a dress or _something _to wear, after that they could think about where to go to get a picnic blanket, food, etc.

"No, I am _not _looking for Johnny Cash's birthplace, I am looking for a clothing store in the country." He thought at the idiotic search results he was given. Nevertheless, it was nice that the only thing for him to be upset about at this specific moment in time was the inability of his phone to do what he wanted. It almost reminded him of when he lived like a "normal" person.

"It's ironic that I can feel so 'normal' riding in a helicopter when I'm virtually the center of a species versus species war, and that I felt alienated while living the average life of a teenager." He thought, finishing up his search and telling the helicopter crew which direction to go in towards the nearest town.

Reeve looked at Diva, whose eyes were now closed as she rested her head on her sister's shoulder.

"It's unfortunate that this world won't allow them to remain like this forever. And unfortunately, my word may be enough to move armies, but it isn't enough to change the way things work." He reflected.

The helicopter changed direction and he closed his phone, awaiting the phone call that would inevitably come from James once his work at the facility was finished as well.


	50. Happiness

_**Life isn't easy. It never has been, and it never will be.**_

_**But the important thing is not merely to endure it and continue on, but to remember **_**why **_**it is that you never cease your endeavor.**_

_**It is arguable what one's objective in life is, as we all naturally have our own desires. However, on one level or another it can be assumed that we all want to be our own version of happy.**_

_**If this is indeed true, it is **_**happiness **_**which should be the center of our lives, not the things that we do to achieve it. For once you begin to focus on the process of attaining happiness more than happiness itself, you risk losing your understanding of what your true objective is, only to get lost in the process of completing or reaching it.**_

_**Some people have to fight a lot for their happiness, while to others it comes naturally.**_

_**But regardless of how easy or difficult it is for you to become happy, you should always enjoy, as much as you possibly can, the time during your life in which you are.**_

_**After all, it is that time of happiness which we experience that makes life worth living.**_

* * *

The atmosphere was a bit strange as they walked into the store. Perhaps it was because Reeve looked like he had just gotten back from a CEO brawl recently broadcasted on national television, or perhaps because Haji looked like a cross between a gothic person, someone who had been alive for a few thousand years, a man with a wax sculpture for a face, or the fact that he was carrying around a huge metal cello case. Then again, perhaps it was because Diva's "clothing" consisted of a long sheet. Whatever the reason, as they walked into the clothing store, both the other customers and the staff set their gazes upon them for almost half a minute before each individual person began preoccupying themselves with something else once more.

Nevertheless, the group continued on into the store. It wasn't particularly big, considering it was a clothing store. But then again, taking into account how small the town was, it was to their great fortune that a store dedicated to clothing even _resided _here. It was about the side of a rite-aid, or other similar kind of pharmacy, while it's layout was more of a mix between a dollar store, and any other store with a "country" feel to it. The colors used to paint it didn't really stand out, but then again, the design intent was for customers to focus on the racks of clothing divided into men's, women's, girl's, and boy's sections. Apparently toddlers were not popular enough to warrant a place in this store.

Diva grabbed Reeve's arm and led him to the girl's section first, though due to her non-nine-year-old body they might end up having to settle on the woman's section; either way, he doubted she would find something that would fit her style here. Regardless, she pulled him from one place to another, quietly examining each item as she passed it as if she were an energetic mute, as strange of a picture as that was to think of.

As they went from rack to rack, aisle to aisle, Diva kept pulling various items out and giving them to Reeve to hold, regardless of whether they fit her or not.

"Um, Diva, that's a pack of diapers babies use for swimming." He informed her.

Diva looked at the pack, then at Reeve, then at the pack again, and then shrugged and threw them over her shoulder.

"Well, _I _thought they looked kind of cute."

He chuckled as the girl smiled again and continued on.

"So do you think this stuff will all fit you?" He asked her as Diva threw another sundress onto the pile of clothes already held in Reeve's arms.

"Why wouldn't it?" She asked in passing.

"Well, it's not exactly your size."

Diva stopped, followed by Reeve, followed by Saya, followed by Haji.

"Oh dear." Haji spoke.

"And what do you mean by that, Reeve?"

"Don't get all 'you called me fat' on me; there's nothing wrong with your figure whatsoever. However, _because _your skeleton isn't disfigured enough to make you the size of an eight-year-old girl, I just don't think some of these things will fit you."

Diva frowned and continued looking at him, her hands on her side.

"Let me get them anyway."

"Huh?"

"Let me get them anyway or I'll put _you _in one of them."

He could hear Saya behind them trying not to laugh.

"She will make you wear a dress." Haji stated.

"Shut up, Haji; you talk too much." The quickness of Reeve's retort amused everyone, causing Diva to giggle and for Saya to give up holding back her laughing. Once more, Haji managed a somewhat humored smile, though this one looked much better.

"Alright, if you want these things that much, never mind." He conceded.

Diva nodded and continued picking things out. Eventually they'd gone through the entire girl's section, and then the woman's section. Reeve managed to get away from Diva long enough to put the clothes down on the counter for the cashier for hold on to as they went to the male section.

"What are you doing, Reeve?" She asked him.

"They'll just hold it until we check out; I don't want to carry all that stuff around the rest of the story. I can't even see over the pile when I walk anymore."

"That is what makes it so funny to watch." She spoke, nearly giggling.

"She enjoys watching you stumble as you walk." Haji spoke.

"Be quiet or I'll break your cello."

"I do not have my cello with me."

"Then what's with the case?"

"I like to carry it around with me."

"Oh, like a man-purse; I've got it." He spoke, causing Diva to giggle once more and Saya to guiltily laugh as they continued on to the men's section. Once there Diva repeated the process that she had gone through while choosing her own clothing and Reeve knew that about seventy-five percent of the clothing she picked out would never _ever _fit him.

At one point he, Saya and Haji stopped for a bit to look at clothes that Saya thought would look funny on Haji and lost track of Diva again. When they were finished looking they split up to find Diva, and when Reeve found her she was in the toddler's section looking at baby's clothes.

"Diva, what are you doing here?"

She seemed to snap out of something and looked at him.

"Oh, nothing."

They stood quietly for a minute or two, until Saya and Haji found them and Diva walked back over towards the men's section. They finished buying clothes there and made their way to the corner before Reeve used a credit card to buy all of the clothing that Diva had picked out.

"How fortunate it is that they take cards." He thought, immediately getting tired of his cynicism and giving up on it as the clothes were bagged and Diva smiled up at him. He smiled back and got help carrying the bags by Haji.

They wandered about town in the sunny weather, going from one place to another, getting a picnic blanket here and food there. They even got directions from a nice old lady who knew of a good park near the town's edge.

Reeve decided against having the helicopter pick them up and take them to the park, and elected to instead just walk to it, so that they could enjoy themselves better.

"So what are you going to do once you go home?" Saya asked them as they walked, though Diva was closer to _skipping _than _walking_.

"I'm not sure." He responded honestly. The rest of the world seemed so far off compared to where they were now. The thought to merely buy a house here and live there passed through his mind, however so briefly.

"I'm sure Diva will want me to buy her more clothes; that goes without saying." He spoke, earning a happy "Mhm" from the girl.

"After that, who knows?"

They continued talking all the way to the park; nothing of particular importance was brought up, they just… talked. For some reason it didn't bother him, doing such a thing. As much as he usually didn't like it, he found their casual conversations rather… calming. Eventually they reached the park, and they all immediately observed that it was everything that the old lady had said it would be; simple, and nice. There was no waterfall, nor a lake, nor a cabin. No one else was there, and there was no big dramatic tree under which to sit. But it was peaceful, and it was warm.

Saya and Haji continued on to get the picnic ready while Reeve and Diva stayed behind and got their new clothes on. Hers outfit was simple; a sundress and a big sun hat. Reeve's meanwhile consisted of a short-sleeve shirt and shorts, as well as sandals. He could not imagine ever wearing these kinds of clothes, and though he could think of Diva in a sundress, he would never have thought she would wear a hat. Still, it didn't bother him.

They left their clothes and the bags that they were in on the ground about half way to the picnic area, as they didn't want to be crowded by them as they ate. Saya and Haji had already done a good job of unpacking everything; the picnic blanket was already laid out, food was ready on paper plates, and they were just pulling out the plastic knives and forks.

"That was quick." He thought as the two joined them and sat down on the picnic blanket. Diva leaned in towards Reeve and whispered to him that he should eat whatever he wanted to before Saya got to it, otherwise there would be none left. Her sister heard her and gave the girl a grumpy face, but Diva just giggled and they continued.

The food was handed out and, despite the fact neither Haji nor Reeve needed food, and Diva's usual _distaste_ for human food, they all ate something. Diva took to spontaneously picking up pieces of food and shoving them into the mouths of Reeve and Saya, but did not have much success with Haji since he still barely opened his mouth; the food usually got blocked by his teeth.

Together Diva and Reeve got Haji to play "air cello", and according to Saya who also used to play it, he actually looked like he was doing it right. He even showed a bit of modern taste by making one of his choices "The Adam's Family".

Whenever Diva got to a nut which had a shell that she could not open she knocked against Reeve's left arm until the harder surface caused the shell to split open, and she would give him one of the nuts within it as a "thank you" for his assistance.

Birds showed up occasionally and Diva would make her voice sound like the birds' and speak to them, getting chirps in response and amusing everyone a bit.

Once they had finished eating, Diva announced, by way of virtually slapping Reeve in the face, that it was time to play a game of tag. He eventually caught her and then got away, causing Diva to "tag" Saya into the game as well. Eventually it became Haji's turn. However, as Diva told him he had to tag someone, he merely stood still. As she grew more frustrated she stomped over to him and told him he had to tag somebody. He tapped her on the shoulder, and then dashed off, leaving Diva once more as "it".

Eventually they grew too worn out to play the game anymore and they all rested on the picnic blanket again and, despite how childish it might seem in retrospect, watched the clouds. Diva would say how "this" cloud looked like a lobster while "that" cloud looked like a shoe, but she was the only one that could see the resemblance.

Diva leaned against Reeve, resting her eyes as he sat on the blanket.

"I never would have thought this would happen." She admitted.

"What do you mean?" He asked her.

"A day like this, so peaceful."

Her response was vague, but he knew what she meant. She probably wouldn't have been able to imagine Saya and her being around each other and acting in such a way with each other like this in real life. Well… knowing Diva she probably _could _have, but he doubted she'd ever expected it.

"Thank you, Reeve."

He was surprised when she thanked him for something like this, and then lay his head on hers.

"There's no need to thank me, this is the way things should be."


	51. Hardship for my love

**_Love is what matters most._**

**_Everyone has their own version of love, but in the end, it is the core of our being._**

**_Be that love adoration for someone, or commitment to one's country, or simply the pure desire to get a job done to the best of your ability, it is our center._**

**_However, love is not all that exists there; we need a _means _to remain near, continue, or otherwise keep the love in our lives._**

**_To keep love in our lives we do not always do things we want to do, in fact, we _usually _do things we _hate_ to do._**

**_We must be prepared to go through hardship, however, for that which we care about most._**

**_Unfortunately, sometimes we can lose sight of that which we love, and instead become victim to nothing but our own ambition._**

* * *

"Don't cry, Diva." Saya spoke to her little sister, trying to reassure her. It didn't seem to be helping though.

The four of them were standing in close proximity to each other, but Diva was not "attached" to anyone as she usually was, instead she merely stood in-between Reeve and Saya, too sad to actually go to either of them.

"I don't want you to go." The blue-eyed girl told her sister; it was one of the rare moments in which he could see her acting "normal" but it was not a "good" one. He doubted there was a single person among them that didn't feel depressed on some level, due to the situation.

Diva looked from Saya to Reeve, back and forth, as if deciding who to embrace to make herself feel better, but she didn't seem capable of deciding.

"I know, Diva, but I have to."

"But _why_?" Her sister asked her, the girl's tone suddenly rising. Saya seemed shocked for a moment, but then recovered, but it didn't look like her recovery made her feel any better. She seemed to struggle with a response until, with a sigh, she decided to reply honestly.

"It's just the way things work. I don't have a choice."

Diva's entire body drooped, and she quieted down.

Wind blew across the field, causing her hair and dress to blow, and for the hat she had long taken off to be blown away.

"Diva?"

"I understand." She spoke, before walking over to her sister and hugging her. Even Reeve could tell though, despite not being in contact with her, that even though Diva understood the hug was not an act of hope, but rather acceptance that they would never be able to live as sisters. When the hug ended Diva walked off into the field aimlessly, as if the world's lights had been snuffed out and she could no longer see.

The three that remained watched the girl walk off and, as they could hear the helicopter approaching, Reeve began to walk in her direction.

"We'll get another ride." He told them as he walked off. However, he stopped as he heard Saya call after him.

"Reeve, please take care of her; she can't take anymore heartbreak."

He said nothing, Reeve only walked away as the helicopter reached the park and set down near Saya and Haji.

Reeve drew closer to Diva, who now only stared off into the sky, not really seeming to look anywhere. He was still a yard or two away from her, and neither of them said anything as they heard the helicopter lifting off and finally flying away. It wasn't until it was beyond earshot that the girl spoke up again.

"Why, Reeve? Why do 'things have to work' against me all the time? It seems like the world itself is trying to hurt me."

"I…don't know." He admitted.

From her throat he heard a sound that sounded somewhat like a hum, and somewhat like an attempt at a laugh.

"I _would _ask you the one question you couldn't answer."

"I'm sorry."

"No…" She told him softly while turning back towards the man.

"It isn't your fault. Reeve."

Diva walked back over to him.

"You're the only one who's ever tried to fight the entire world, just to help me be happy. I could never- _would _never blame this on you." She told him, on the brink of tears as she delicately touched his face and then embraced him.

"As long as you are here with me, I can manage; no matter what happens."

He closed his eyes and hugged her back.

"Even if the whole world tries to hurt me, I know that you will always be here with me, no matter what."

Reeve swallowed before he replied.

"You're right. I'll never abandon you."

She sniffed as he felt water stream from her eyes, and hugged her tighter.

"I'll always do whatever I can to make you happy." He promised her.

* * *

"Reeve, what happened?" James asked the man in his usual solid as steel tone.

"While I was searching for Diva in the facility I ran into Saya and Haji."

"And? Did you kill them?"

"No."

"What? Why not?"

Reeve sighed and turned back towards James, having previously been watching Diva as she walked about the park, she seemed more natural walking around now than she seemed aimless.

"There was no reason to; she wasn't there to hurt Diva. In _fact_, she had gone there to _save _Diva."

James narrowed his eyes somewhat in either confusion or suspicion, it was hard to tell one feeling from the other simply from the man's facial features.

"We went to a nearby town and then came here. After a while, I had a helicopter come in and pick them up. Then I called you and had you bring a helicopter here. That's all there is to tell, really."

James' expression returned to normal, though that wasn't saying much.

"Anyway, did you accomplish your mission at the facility?"

"Yes; it appears that the Red Shield is indeed capable of producing bullets with Saya's blood active in them. If shot by it, any chiropteran sharing Diva's blood will die."

Reeve felt a bit of a grin tug at his mouth.

"Perfect."

Once again James seemed confused or suspicious.

"What do you mean?"

"He has everything he needs to kill us now. All that remains is to set up a confrontation and finish it."

"But with those bullets even a human can kill a chiropteran."

"Precisely. And it is because of that 'advantage' that Kirill will accept my challenge; he thinks he can kill me and everyone beneath me."

"You're going to use his arrogance as a way to draw him into a fight?"

"This is war, James."

"I am not _opposed _to the idea, I just don't understand how it is supposed to work."

"You're a soldier James, aren't you? You are the one who ensures that plans succeed, and I am the one the ensures that a plan _can _succeed. I know how to win a battle against the Red Shield. Trust me."

Reeve turned back towards Diva.

"It's all that I've been thinking about since the day I became a chiropteran."

"And Diva?"

"She won't be hurt. Don't worry."

A breeze blew across the park again; it was colder than usual.

"This is what I want you to do…"

* * *

A ringing.

A deep melodic beeping.

He could not see, he could not smell, he could only hear, and feel.

He heard the phone ringing, and felt his heart beating, its resting pulse changing to accommodate the rhythm of the electronic sound.

A quick electronic "burst" sounded, and a young girl answered on the other end, a receptionist.

"Hello, Goldsmith holdings, where may I direct your call to, please?"

He waited for a moment, and then he spoke.

"I would like to be put into contact with Maxim Kirill, please."

The girl seemed to hesitate, as if an individual's desire to talk to the man was a vain wish.

"I'm afraid he is busy right now, sir-"

"Tell him the caller is Reeve Roswell, he'll 'make time'."


	52. Nostalgia

_**It was strange, returning to a normal life, if only for a day.**_

_**Sometimes people wish their lives were more dramatic, because they grow bored with going through the same process, day after day.**_

_**The same is true for dramatic lives, too, though in a different way.**_

_**When your days have been so filled with drama and fantasy that the pressure of them seems to force your stomach still, any reprieve you can get from that to live- to **_**breathe**_**, is worth far more than to merely have an interesting day.**_

* * *

"Well, now, isn't _this _a surprise?" Asked the composed voice on the other end of the phone.

"You're the one that had Diva hurt like that." He stated.

"I am."

"I'm tired of this game of 'cat and mouse'. It's wasting energy, and no one is accomplishing much by it."

The man on the other end of the phone seemed amused.

"And so?"

"I want to finish this; the location of where I used to live, one day from now. That should be enough time to mobilize whatever forces you have and gather them there."

"There's a city _around_ your house to take into consideration."

"Don't worry; there won't be anything in the way by the time you get to it."

"You'll destroy the entire city just to make room for the battle?"

"It's slash and burn; if it isn't beneficial for it to be standing, then it is taken down. Don't act as if it makes any difference to you whether the city is standing or not."

"I honestly don't care. But what reason is there to fight you in a fair battle if the more time we have, the greater my assets become?"

"Because as a result of this phone call, I now know where you are located. And, unlike some of the other opponents you've faced in the past, I both have access to a nuclear module and am fully willing to launch it onto your location if you decline."

Maxim Kirill did not respond for a few moments, and when he did, he sounded more serious.

"You've certainly grown man-sized haven't you?"

"It was your intent to inspire a response from me with that grisly spectacle today; you got what you wanted. I'm tired of playing."

"…the conditions?"

"Straightforward. You bring everything you have, and I'll bring everything I have; an old-fashioned battle."

"You expect me to believe you won't have some little trick up your sleeve?"

"I have no reason to need one; I can kill you and your 'legacy' right now if I desire. The irony is that by killing Nathan, you made me hate you enough for me to want to kill you personally, as opposed to in a systematic way fitting of a nuisance."

"Fine. What time?"

"One in the morning; o' hundred hours." He spoke, adding the military speech mostly as an act of spite.

"Alright. You've got your showdown, kid."

"You're going to die; be ready for it."

With that he hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair, sighing.

"Almost there." He thought out loud before the door to his office was opened by a happy girl carrying a laundry basket full of clothes, humming a little tune.

"Reeve, I found a really nice shirt for you. I'd almost forgotten I got it for you once…" She spoke, her sentence ending as she laid eyes on him.

"Reeve?"

He opened his eyes and smiled, looking at her; in his eyes she still glowed as radiant as when he'd known her back at his house. Maybe it was because aside from the soft side she had developed for him, she was still the same happy, smiling person.

"How does she do that?" He thought as Diva set the laundry basket down.

"Is something wrong?" She asked him, bringing him back to the real world.

"Oh, no… hey, could you come over here?" He asked her in an unusual tone. It made her smile change; it didn't get smaller, it just changed.

"Sure." She told him, walking over to the young man who then pulled her down onto his lap and kissed her as he leaned the chair back, pleasantly surprising the girl.

"Reeve!" She spoke, giggling. He smiled back at her and hugged the girl.

"What's going on?" She asked, still giggling as he kissed her cheek.

"Let's do something today." He encouraged her softly.

"What do you mean?"

"Let's go somewhere… do something. How about we go shopping? And then go out for something to eat, for starters?"

Her eyes widened for a moment, and she brought up a hand to his cheek.

"Reeve… you really mean it?"

"Of course, I haven't doted on you for a _while_ now. I think it's time I made it up to you."

She held his face with both hands now, and pulled herself up to hug him around the neck.

"What's wrong? Is something happening?" She asked, not quite buying that he suddenly wanted to do this for no reason.

"Nothing's happening; we've got all this free time to ourselves. The world's giving us a break for today, so how about we take it?"

Diva gazed into his eyes; she was not looking for a sign that he was lying, rather, she was looking for the sign that he was genuine. She saw neither in his eyes which she had always called "beautiful" and realized that that was it; it was her Reeve that was looking at her again.

"Oh Reeve." She exclaimed, hugging him tightly again so that she could convey just how happy she was.

"You're back."

He felt amused and his tone was shaky with it as he spoke to her.

"What are you talking about? I never left."

Diva pulled back a bit to gaze into his eyes once more, and then placed her forehead against his.

"You're right; you never did."

* * *

"We're going here?" Diva asked him as he pulled into a parking space; she was referring to a large mall.

"That it is." He responded, his memory flashing back to the time when they had gone shopping at a mall before back in his home "town".

"So, where do you want to go-" He cut himself off as she opened her door and jolted out of the car with literally inhuman speed. His surprised expression was quickly replaced with a smile as he got out of the car as well and they both closed their doors at the same time before Reeve locked the car.

"I want to get dresses first!" She told him, virtually hopping up and down as she began to rush out from the car. However, as she did, they both heard a car speeding down between the aisles of cars. Despite himself, Reeve did not move to keep her from getting hit by the car; he knew she would stop- _trusted_ her to stop, and she did. They watched the car continue away and then looked at each other and laughed.

"Today already seems off to a clichéd start." He remarked with a smile, his arm around her shoulder and her arm around his back as they walked towards the entrance to the mall.

"I don't mind; I like the memories it brings back." She responded, with him agreeing with her.

Diva ran away from him as they neared the doors and pulled one open for him so that he could walk through unabated, and caused him to chuckle. Once he was inside he did the same for her, as there was a narrow indoor waiting area, and she giggled as she walked inside, followed by Reeve. They were in a huge clothing store again, just like they had been the other time.

"Where are the dresses, Reeve?" Diva asked him, knowing that he was already scanning the various signs and labels throughout the store.

"Over there." He told her, pointing to a particular sign and leading her to it. They walked around the area, and Diva looked at each and every dress, eventually picking out one which attracted her attention enough to warrant being shown to Reeve for consideration.

"I really like this one." Diva told him, picking out a summer dress that was vaguely purple in color.

"Do you like it?"

"I like it, and I think you would look beautiful in it."

She beamed at his additional mention of "I like it" and draped it over an arm.

"But don't wear yourself out looking here; I have a secret place I want us to go to as well."

Her smile grew slightly mischievous.

"I didn't know they had underwear stores specifically for men."

Reeve chuckled.

"That's not my intention."

"Where then?"

"I told you; it's a _secret_."

She actually wiggled her body at the excitement and nodded before proceeding to pick out other items of interest. Reeve watched her and continued commenting when she asked him what he thought of a particular piece of clothing. It didn't take long before Diva had picked out all of the clothes that she wanted, and they walked over to a counter, on which Diva placed all the clothes. It was in significant contrast to the other time they had gone to a mall together, and she had simply dropped all the articles onto the counter.

"Will that be cash or credit?" The cashier asked him, to which he produced a credit card after she had finished scanning all of the items. She told him the amount, but he wasn't listening, and neither was Diva. They gazed into each other's eyes until the cashier handed him the card back and bagged the clothes. Diva and Reeve distributed the bags equally amongst themselves as Diva wanted to be close to her chosen items and Reeve wanted to help her out.

"Where do you want to go next?" He asked her.

"The _secret _store!" She exclaimed happily.

"Really? There's nowhere else you want to go?"

"Nope!"

He smiled back at her.

"Alright then."

They walked out of the store, each with one of their arms hooked around the other. Neither of them paid any head to the people that passed by them, but it was not that they dismissed them as unimportant, but rather that they were too happy to really concern themselves with much other than the emotion itself and the person who inspired it in the other. Pretty soon they had reached the store which Diva had told her about; it was a formal clothing store.

"Is this the place?"

"Yes; I thought we should go to a ball tonight."

She dropped the bags she had been holding and held his free hand with both of hers, oblivious to the people that looked.

"Really?"

He felt his humor level rising, and nodded.

"The two of us?"

This time Reeve couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yes; together."

"And you'll get a _suit too_?"

"Anything you like."

"Really? Hm… in _that _case I saw a dress in there that would look _great _on you."

He chuckled again.

"Alright, maybe not _anything _you want."

"Awww. I think you'd look cute in a dress. You've got such a pretty face, and nice hair, not to mention you've got a great bu-"

"Alright, well… how 'bout we go and get those clothes? Never know when they might close."

She giggled and picked up her bags again before they walked into the store. Once they entered they immediately noticed a variety of styles for both tuxedos and dresses. However, they headed to the dresses section first, since both of them wanted Diva to choose her dress first. A somewhat middle-aged woman asked them if they wanted help and they told her they were looking for a dress and a tuxedo for a party tonight.

"_Tonight_? I am not sure if we will be able to get the custom sizes you would prefer in that amount of time."

"Can the priority of the custom sizing be increased depending on the amount of money paid?" Reeve asked the woman, already knowing the answer.

"Well, yes, but it would be quite expensive…"

"That isn't a problem. Whatever the cost, so long as we can get them in time it isn't an issue."

"I see, well then, miss, was there a particular kind of dress you wanted?"

Diva didn't even bother looking around the store before she answered the saleswoman.

"A violet one."

"Is there a particular style?"

"One that will look nice with what he wears."

"And sir? Is there any particular style that you wanted?"

"A single-breasted jacket with a V-shaped vest, and a blue tie. All clothing should be black."

"_Violet_ tie." Diva corrected him with a smile, at which he shook his head with his own smile.

"My mistake, a violet tie."

The saleswoman seemed somewhat amused or at the very least interested in their short humorous exchange and led them over to a particular section of the dresses and explained to Diva why she should do this or why she shouldn't do that. Despite Diva's usually short attention span, she actually seemed to be listening to everything the woman was saying; evidently this _was _very important to her. Reeve looked over at the men's suits a bit, but didn't actually leave from Diva's side, as she was still holding his hand.

"What do you think, Reeve?" Diva asked him as he looked back at her.

"Hm…"

"You were listening, right?"

"I was, it's just that I'm not really the person to ask."

She frowned.

"Why is that?"

"Because you make everything look so good that it's hard for me to tell." He told her, beginning to chuckle at the end. She smiled once more and told the saleswoman that she would take the long-sleeved one with the dark violet color and black trim. Reeve wondered, since he did not see any in the immediate vicinity, if they even had them at the store, or if Diva just expected them to have it because she _wanted _it. The saleswoman took her measurements and told them that it would have to be custom-made. However, if money really was no object, it could likely be done by the time they needed it.

"The ball isn't until tonight, so it's not a problem." Reeve told the saleswoman.

"Oh, you're going to a ball?"

Diva nodded her head and gave an "mhm!".

"I'd been thinking you were going to go to the prom." The saleswoman admitted. Apparently Diva knew of it, as she didn't ask what the woman meant.

"No, this is a ball at a private estate. My company has some business partners who are holding a party tonight, and we're invited."

"Your _company_? Such a proactive young man, you are." She remarked with a smile.

He shrugged, not wanting to get too into business talk.

"Well if you'll just come over here, I'll take your measurements as well, and you can pick out a suit…"

* * *

It had been a couple of hours since they chose their attire, and the two had enjoyed simply walking around the mall together as they waited for the clothing to be tailored.

Even though neither of them needed it anymore, they both had gotten something to eat at some retro 50's diner place, as well as bought a milkshake for each of them. Though Reeve finished his drink quickly, Diva had simply plucked his straw from the glass, moved the cup, and inserted the straw into the glass from which she was drinking. Afterwards they shared hers until they were finished, neither of them caring how cliché of an "act of love" it was.

Eventually they went back to the clothing store, and both the suit and the dress were ready. He paid for both items, and they got everything else they wanted before leaving the mall and walking back to his car. He hung the items on the hooks on the handle in the back seat and everything else on the seats or in the trunk. Afterwards they got into the car themselves and Reeve turned it on.

"What are we going to do now, Reeve?"

"Well, the ball isn't for another few hours, so… anything you _want _to do."

She beamed and gave him a big hug.

"You're so sweet!"

"Not sweet enough to eat, I hope."

Diva shook her head as she drew away.

"No; you're too neat to eat because you're sweet."

He chuckled, seceding to her the battle of rhymes.

"Alright. So, what do you want to do?"

She put a finger to her lips and looked up at the roof of the car, though whether she actually needed to do that to think, or just enjoyed making the gesture was as hard to tell as anything else she did. Eventually she looked back at him and, with a big smile, told him she didn't know. He got a chuckle out of that and started the car up.

"Well okay, you just think about what you want to do then; you've got all the time in the world."

She leaned back against the seat and placed one of her hands on his as he pulled the car out of "park".

"_We_ have all the time in the world." She corrected him.

His smile widened for a moment, and then they drove out of the parking lot.


	53. Fulfillment

**_Enjoy yourself while you can._**

**_Tomorrow you may be busy, tomorrow you may be miserable, tomorrow you may be dead._**

**_Then again, maybe tomorrow you just won't care. Who knows? _**

**_But if you don't take advantage of the good times while they're there, you might as well resign yourself to death right now._**

**_If you focus on nothing but negativity, that is all your life will ever consist of. Nothing more, nothing less._**

**_Give yourself a break, because with everything we endure every day, we might as well make something of what remains._**

**_Enjoy yourself while you can._**

* * *

In the end they hadn't ended up doing much of _anything _before going to the ball; Reeve drove around for hours waiting patiently for Diva to come up with something to do, but she never spoke of any such thoughts. They engaged in normal conversation, however, so it was by no means an awkward ride. Truth be told, they both enjoyed themselves, merely traveling about town with each other's company was more than enough for a fun time for them, even though the sky was the limit as to what they could have done for fun.

Ultimately they decided to get changed in the back seat of his car, as there wasn't enough time to stop anywhere and get dressed otherwise. And it wasn't as if they had any privacy issues with each other after all. So Reeve hung up some clothes on the handles of the back seat and stood outside the car as he waited for Diva to first get dressed. They were actually in a parking lot near the residence that the ball was taking place at, so the two of them would just walk from the car to the party as opposed to having to drive any further. However, _also _because there was a party, and lots of guests were still arriving, he wanted to make sure no one saw Diva in the car as they were passing by. The chances were slim, but still…

A knock on the window told him that she was likely finished, and he opened the door-

"Did you need help?" He asked her; the question was a response to seeing that she was essentially just naked while holding the dress in front of her.

"It's too cramp in here; I can't get it on right."

He looked behind him to make sure no one was nearby, and then got in the car and closed the door, helping her position the dress the right way as she pulled it down over her shoulders and sliding her arms up through the sleeves. She "stood up" in the car so that the dress could go down the rest of the way and then leaned against Reeve.

"What is it, Diva?"

She didn't say anything for several moments, and he felt her crying on his chest. He held her more tightly and asked her what was wrong. But when she came away and looked up at him she just called him "silly" and smiled.

"It's your turn now." She told him, waiting patiently and causing his smile to take on a humorous look.

"You're not going to leave the car, _are_ you?"

She shook her head, still smiling.

It was his turn to shake his head and he conceded, unbuttoning his shirt. Reeve tossed it in the back after he got it off and undid his belt with one hand while reaching for the dress shirt for his suit with the other. However, as he tossed the belt in the back as well and he began to bring the dress shirt towards him, one of Diva's hands held the hand still and she grew closer to him.

"What is it?"

She didn't respond before kissing him and placing her free hand on his chest and Reeve realized that Diva was interested in doing much more than kissing this time. As she continued kissing him her hand started going down, at the same time eliciting a deep breath from him. But when her hand reached his stomach his own free hand held it still, and she looked up into his eyes.

"After the party."

She blinked, and then smiled.

"Really?"

"I promise."

She nodded while back away to give him room to change.

"Alright."

He changed his clothes without anymore "extracurricular activities" occurring, and they got their new shoes on and then both departed the vehicle. They walked on opposite sides of the car as Reeve locked it and put the keys in a pocket. Upon meeting at the front of the car the couple began walking towards the estate at which the ball was taking place. Dozens of people were doing the same thing and it was obvious that this must be a pretty popular party. Then again, it wasn't like they would be going to a boring place. That simply wouldn't do. Time passed as they grew closer to the estate. The building was like many other mansions; it was big, it was fancy-looking, and it looked expensive. Reeve showed their invitations at the door, and they entered.

"So, Reeve, when do we get to dance?" Diva asked him, her tone patient as they walked through the halls, their arms ringed around another's.

"Just as soon as we find the ballroom, we should be coming up on it very soon."

Like usual, he was right, and soon they reached the double door entrances to the huge ballroom. Within danced many people, but all they truly heard was the music, and as they walked into the room, Reeve leading Diva as the music grew slower, they brought their hands together and began to dance themselves. Their bodies didn't even move in unison; it was as if they shared the same form, and their movements were seamless as one form did exactly as it should to correspond to the other's. Classical music played, and then some jazz, and even a few blues tunes were played by some special guests. Finally they took a break and walked over to a refreshments table.

"What should I eat, Reeve?" Diva asked him, observing the table with a smile.

"Eat whatever you'd like." He responded, mirroring her smile.

"Will you share some things with me."

"Sure. Why not?"

She nodded and departed from him.

"Alright, let's both get a plate and pick out some things."

They did so and Diva traveled down the long table of refreshments with considerable speed, though due to its length it would still take her a while to get back. Reeve shook his head a bit with a smile and started picking out things as well when he heard someone address him from behind. As he turned to the man who'd spoken his voice, he recognized him as a business associate, some CEO of a multimillion-dollar corporation. His suit probably cost more than a regular employee's monthly wage.

"I didn't expect to see you here." He stated, sociably, while walking towards Reeve.

"What can I say? I love classy things and you don't get classier than galas."

"Isn't it true?" The man responded with a smile.

"By the way, have you heard about the proposal for a merger between Gitech and Redford incorporated?"

"I hadn't."

"Gitech's been going through a rough patch, so Redford made an offer they couldn't refuse."

"And you want to get in on it too."

"Of course; if we acquired part of Gitech our technological branch's stock prices would skyrocket, what with all of the names associated with their technologies."

"How about you leave a message at my office about it?"

"Alright. I understand; it's a nice party, no point in spending it all talking business."

Reeve glanced and saw Diva coming back towards him, a variety of foods on her plate.

"So we'll talk about it Monday." The man spoke, even though it was less a statement and more a very aggressive question. Reeve could only close his eyes and smile at that thought, and walked away, giving a gesture of "goodbye" with his free hand while walking towards her.

"I picked out a bunch of nice things-"

Her gaze caught sight of his plate, and she leaned forward.

"You didn't get many things."

Reeve chuckled while telling her that someone came to talk business with him.

"Oh, I see. Well we still have a lot of things to try."

He nodded, and they walked over to a couple of chairs along the wall with a small table in-between them. However, after setting her plate down on the table, Diva pulled "her" chair over to the side Reeve was sitting down on and placed it next to him before sitting down as well. He smiled and they tried the various foods, occasionally choosing an item and then giving it to the other spontaneously just to keep things interesting, and eventually the food was all gone.

Despite the fact they had just eaten, Diva immediately wanted to dance again. And they did so on through the night, not minding if people noticed that they would dance for over an hour at a time. At first the songs were playing fast, but it seemed that the further on into the night they went, the slower the songs seemed to grow. But to _them_, despite the slowing speed of the songs, they seemed to fly by just as quickly, and before they knew it, the music had stopped. As the other guests began to depart from the dance area, Reeve began to move backwards, out of the tight embrace that they had established at the end of the last song, but Diva held him still. And then, as he looked down at her, he noticed that she was crying. He held her more softly and asked her what was wrong.

"I… don't want it to end, Reeve. Please…"

"What's the matter; do you still want to dance?"

"No, I just…"

She placed her head against his chest and cried more.

"I don't want it to end."

Reeve placed his head on top of hers and whispered to her.

"It's all right; I'll make sure you can be happy forever."

She said nothing; Diva only continued to cry.

"I promise; I will change everything for you, so that you can be happy."

Diva drew back a bit and looked up longingly into his eyes.

"You'll always stay with me, won't you Reeve?"

He gazed down into her eyes and smiled.

"I promise; I'll never abandon you."

The girl rested her head back on his chest for a few more moments before he rubbed her back.

"Let's get out of here, okay?"

"Okay." She responded sleepily.

And with that they left the building and walked back to his car. They both got inside, and he started it up before driving off into the night. On the way she nodded off to sleep, and he smiled while glancing to her every once in a while. He continued driving, his path seeming to be led almost by muscle memory, until at last they arrived at a house that he hadn't seen in a long time; not since it had been burned down what felt like a lifetime ago. It was a huge mansion, with a long driveway and a path with flowers on the side that led to the entrance. The original building had been burnt down, but the design speculations had remained in a different location, and he'd had it rebuilt in another city, with wide open spaces of grass in the surrounding area. He'd bought the lots so that no one would be able to move in nearby, and made sure that it would be peaceful.

Reeve gazed down at Diva, who was still sleeping, and then opened his car door quietly, going around to the other side and doing the same with the other. He unbuckled her seatbelt, and then lifted Diva out of the car before carrying her to the entrance to the building and unlocked the door while still holding her. He dropped the keys in the grass and carried her up the large staircase which he recognized as if it were the original one. The young man traveled through the extensive halls of the second floor until he'd reached his room and opened it. Carrying her across the room, Reeve set her down on the bed and leaned over her, smiling down at the girl. He continued to gaze down at Diva's sleeping, careless face, and felt something drip from the corner of his eye onto her face. Her eyes slowly drew open, and she looked up at him with sleepy eyes.

"Reeve?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." He told her while beginning to stand up, but she raised her hands to his face and wiped a finger along the area beneath his eye.

"Were you crying?"

He shook his head.

"Don't worry about it."

Diva looked concerned, but the feeling in her eyes was blended with a look of both confusion and wonderment as she looked around the room.

"This…"

"Looks familiar, doesn't it?" He asked her with a smile.

"How did you…"

He shook his head once more.

"That's not important. What _is_ important…" He spoke while drawing a hand up to her cheek.

"Is that we're here together."

Her face changed as she realized what he intended to do, and her hands drifted down to be placed on his chest.

"You really want to?"

Reeve nodded.

"I do. Do you?"

She smiled at him.

"Of course."

As he leaned down, she sat up, and their eyes glowed faintly as they kissed one another. They came back long enough to look into each other's eyes again, and then they kissed again as they both moved further towards the center of the bed. Both pairs of their shoes were kicked off and landed on the floor as they finished reaching their destination and their lips finally parted.

Diva's hands rose and pulled at the knot of his tie. But they did not yank on it like the impatient girl many knew her for, they tugged the fabric free with a sensitive and delicate touch before one of them slid the tie through the collar and out into the air, where it landed, neither of them knew. It didn't take him long to undo the jacket's buttons and toss it onto the floor, but when he finished with it and they heard the garment hit the floor, they halted for a moment. Reeve's eyes asked the question again, and Diva's gave the same response. Their faces grew closer once more, and they kissed each other again.

* * *

It was a nice morning.

Reeve had woken up only a few minutes ago, but he could already tell that it was going to be a beautiful day. Through his window he could see that the sun was just starting to rise, casting a pale blue light on everything it could reach, and leaving in the shadows what it could not. The window was open, not broken, and he felt a breeze blowing against his bare chest. For some reason his pants and belt had both been nearby, but not his shirt. Go figure.

"Oh well."

He let the drapes close all the way and walked back towards the bed and the girl who lay on it, beneath the covers. Her smile was smaller than usual as she slept, but for some reason it seemed even happier than normal. Reeve walked across the floor and pulled the covers up over her more and then walked through his doorway, closing the door behind him. Reeve walked at a normal pace as he made his way through the halls, down the staircase, across the bottom floor, and finally outside. His eyes fell upon the maze once more, and he wondered if it was indeed the same design he had used when the original one was made.

"Only one way to find out." He spoke before wandering into the maze. The hedges passed slowly, but he didn't mind making the trip and continued, enjoying the cool air as he did so. Images of rushing through the paths, both as a child and as a young man with murderous intent flashed through his mind, but his pace didn't change. He saw where he'd leapt out to surprise a guard, and where he remembered dying for the first time, and passed by them without a thought in his mind. Though it seemed to take a while, Reeve still lost his sense of time as he wandered through the maze, and finally, before he knew it, he had reached the end.

"It's been a while." He spoke to the tombstone with his friend's name engraved in it. Beneath it lie the fragments of the persons whom he'd relied on for almost his entire life, but now he had to do this all alone.

"No… I guess I'm really _not _doing it alone." He admitted to his friend's grave.

Reeve gazed at the grave for minutes, perhaps hours; he didn't know how much time had passed when he heard footsteps walking through the grass towards him. There was no need to look behind him; he knew it was Diva, he could feel her. She didn't say anything as she approached him and stepped beside him, taking hold of one of his hands. Neither of them spoke as their gazes both fixed on a grave. However, they were looking at separate ones, and while the one _Reeve _gazed at had his friend's name upon it and beneath it lay Nathan's remains, to the _right _of it stood a blank gravestone with a long rectangular hole in front of it.

Diva eventually spoke up.

"Reeve…"

"This will be the graveyard for everyone who dies, assisting in our happiness." He explained.

"You're going to put that man in there?"

He shook his head and turned towards her.

"No." Reeve spoke with a smile.

"Let's not obsess over death today; it's a new day for us."

Diva looked away, but he drew her face back up to gaze at him with a hand.

"Why don't we take a shower together? I'll get the clothes and how about you go back to the room and get some more rest? I'll wake you up when I'm ready."

"Reeve…"

"I promise."

She looked into his eyes, and knew he was telling the truth.

"Alright."

He nodded in appreciation and she walked back towards the maze, holding his hand as long as she could until finally they came apart, and Diva walked out of sight. Reeve was still smiling when he lost sight of her, and then faced toward Nathan's headstone.

His smile disappeared, and he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket before speed-dialing a number. It rung only once before someone answered.

"Do it."

"Yes, sir."

He closed the phone and put it back in his pocket.

"Gotta go."

With that he turned away from the grave and walked away from it, no intent to ever see the cursed thing again.


	54. The end of the war

_**And that is the end.**_

_**I hope you learned something, reading all of these little tidbits of information.**_

_**Though humans have rarely shown the capabilities to understand such things, I thought that, for those who yet possess the power of mind to comprehend these concepts, I should try to convey what it is that I have learned.**_

_**Everything is going to end, and it won't be what you thought.**_

_**The 'lovers' won't share a passionate kiss before the credits role, and no one is going to walk off into the sunset with their heads held high.**_

_**Because this is not a love story; this is the beginning of the history of the new world.**_

_**I **_**will **_**change it, and anyone that gets in the way of the world I have imagined, will have to die.**_

* * *

The world would have been perfectly quiet were it not for the dripping water coming from the showerhead.

Reeve and Diva had chosen separate rooms for changing, even though they themselves were unsure why. They had bought a bunch of clothes and such the previous day, and Reeve had brought them up to their room as promised. It was almost funny, then, when they walked to the doorway of the bathroom, Diva from within the bathroom itself, and Reeve from the bedroom, and saw that the other was wearing the same outfit they had been wearing the night before. Their bodies hadn't really sweat at all when they were dancing, due to it hardly being taxing on their inhuman-capabilities, but it was still strange that they had both chosen their "dress" outfits.

"Heh, makes it sound like I really _did _get a dress at that store." He mused in his head.

It was strange, though; when he tried to talk to Diva, he couldn't keep the same carefree expression or mindset. Maybe it was because he'd lost it after leaving the grave, but if not, it would have most certainly have been because she no longer looked happy.

"What is it, Diva?" He asked her, stepping closer.

"I wanted to look nice for today." She explained, perhaps not understanding what he'd been asking about. No… she knew exactly what he'd meant.

"What do you mean?"

"We're going to another 'party' _today_, aren't we?"

Any attempts at trying to appear happy anymore faded from his expression and demeanor and he found himself not looking directly at her anymore.

"I was going to go to the 'party' _myself_ actually."

"You said that we would always be together."

"I said that I would never abandon you; that doesn't mean we'll be near each other every waking moment."

She looked down at the floor.

"Why can't we just leave? Why can we not just run away somewhere and live together there? Without all of these things weighing us down?"

It was with some sadness that Reeve realized just how much the girl had matured. On the surface it may still be hard or even _impossible _to see for most people, but she had. And it made him feel even _more _sadness realizing that it was because of what he'd put her through.

"The answer to your question is simple; because I don't run away from anything."

Her shoulders drooped a bit.

"You could die, please don't be so stubborn."

"What do we have then, Diva?"

She looked up at him, unsure of what he meant.

"Once you get past happiness and love and everything, what are we? How do we distinguish ourselves from the rest of the world? It's our characteristics that mark us as different; they are what make us unique. If I did not refuse to give them up even a bit, then I wouldn't be the person you know. It is because of my 'stubbornness' that I am capable of continuing to be the person that I want to be, and the person that you know."

Diva took a step towards him.

"But you don't have to change who you are just because we leave this behind us!"

"Yes, I would." He remarked, not giving any indication that he was so much as _considering _the idea, and once more her spirit seemed to fall.

"By running away from my problems whenever they were too undesirable I would be doing nothing _but _changing the way I am; I do not run, I retreat so that I can win. And I do not escape, I go somewhere else so that I can plan how to get what I want."

It felt almost like a minute before Diva spoke up.

"…not even for me?"

His expression did not change, but he felt his heart quiver.

"Why do we _have _to run away, Diva? Why should the two of us be forced to change the way we can live our lives, just because the outside world shuns us?"

"But it _isn't _shunning you!" She spoke, her voice only slightly raised, but with a tone of desperation in it.

"Don't you _understand_, Reeve? The world isn't _shunning _you! It's _swallowing _you _up_! It's poisoning you!"

He sighed.

"Nothing overwhelms me, Diva; you should know that better than anyone. I never give up. If the world is trying to change _me_, then I'm just going to have to change the _world first_."

She swallowed hard, looking as if she was about to cry.

Reeve turned towards the doorway to the hall.

"If you want to come, I won't stop you. But understand that I'm not going to hold back anything just because you're near me; I _will_ change our world. And nothing will get in my way; not the Red Shield, not Maxim Kirill, nor Saya Otonashi. And if she _tries _to get in my way…" He began while walking towards the doorway.

"I'll 'thank' her for her help so far by being charitable enough to bury her next to Nathan."

Diva wiped away her tears, whether they were real ones or just invisible tears coming from her heart, and followed after him.

"I will never leave you, Reeve; you've never left me."

* * *

The wind blew across the wasteland. It was almost as if the scene had come out of a western; dust blew across the sand, over towards an infinite sea of lifeless desert. However, instead of sand there was ash, and instead of an endless desert there were some areas which were mounds of rubble and cinders, while others were long stretches of concrete with debris scattered across them; it was what remained of an annihilated it used to be so pleasant around here.

The stale, cold wind suddenly increased in intensity and caused mounds of ash to be blown about the area as large cargo planes used the damaged roads and streets as impromptu runways. It wasn't something you could usually do unless you were an expert pilot and even then you certainly never wanted to attempt it. Luckily each and every one of these pilots were very good, and were all paid well enough to stop caring about how dangerous it was.

Even harsher noises sounded out as the landing gear of each craft made contact with the roads and squealed as they fought to slow down the transport planes. As they continued to fight for traction, helicopters approached from the opposite direction and went over the planes. The two modes of aerial transportation crisscrossed and as the minutes continued, both landed and ceased movement as the engines and rotor blades died down.

For a few moments it was quiet, and then the bay and side doors opened on the respective crafts, with the passengers of the helicopters exiting first and moving out of them with military precision and speed. They wore helmets, but only lightweight, black combat gear due to the nature of their enemy, and formed up in several rows as soldiers within the crafts themselves swiveled gatling guns within to aim towards the planes whose doors had just finished opening and more soldiers marched out from within their stomachs. Their appearances were even more uniform than those that had jumped down from the helicopters for the most part; they wore virtually no armor and their bare arms were exposed, while the rest of them were clad in light, unrestrictive clothing.

The first force, the human one, held guns which were full automatic and were loaded with crimson-tipped bullets which contained Saya's blood. They held gas grenades which, while explosive, dispersed blood into the air which could go through the skin of chiropterans. The gatling guns had blood in them as well, and even their combat knives had been forged with a mixture of steel and blood.

The chiropteran force was more melee oriented for the most part, with the bulk of the force being made up of corpse corps. Some soldiers were armed with razor sharp blades, while other, aerial units could fire crimson spikes down onto the ranks of the humans, while on-foot mass-produced chevalier were capable of both melee and long-ranged attacks, but lacked aerial capabilities.

Two craft remained unopened until now; one of them was a plane, while the other was a helicopter. And as the doors to both opened in their own ways the key figures for both armies showed themselves and stepped down onto the ground. From the helicopter, seven sets of footsteps set down onto the ruined concrete, while from the plane, only three sets walked down the ramp which had been made by the lowered door and down onto the ground.

Of all the people who left the helicopter and moved to stand in front of the helicopter, six of them held solemn expressions, they were Saya, Haji, Solomon, David, Kai and Luis. Those who had never been encountered before were well-known due to their previous activity in the Red Shield organization, and some who had yet remained in it. The final person bore a grin confident enough to suggest its transition to a smirk, but it was worn in knowledge of the fact that he was capable enough to bear such a thing and not simply be full of hot air. In the end, all that meant was that Maxim Kirill was well-deserving of his leadership position in a military organization, if a bit more ruthless than it required.

The three opposing people who emerged at the head of the chiropteran army were Reeve, Diva, and James. None of them bore a grin, though the reasons for their expressions varied from person to person. Though both groups looked at each other, eye contact was only made between four of them in total, and that was between Reeve and Maxim, and Diva and Saya. The emotions shared between them were very different as well; while Reeve's and Maxim's gazes reflected hatred and admonishment, Diva's and Saya's shared a mutual feeling of regret. Eventually they all blinked, and Maxim spoke.

"This is your 'new world order' boy? I was expecting something bigger."

"Always with the taunts, hm? How tiresome. We're both here; why don't you stop being a coward and fight for a change?"

The man shrugged and pulled his hand out of a pocket.

"As you wish." He spoke before quickly drawing up a pistol and shooting several times at the young chevalier, who blocked with his left hand, causing the normally-lethal blood-tipped bullets to flatten harmlessly and fall to the ground.

The sounds of gunshots had faded off with the strong wind, carrying away the last evidence that Reeve had almost just died.

"Such a snake-like move; it fits your personality well." Reeve spoke, his voice beginning to tremble ever so slightly in anger as he drew his arm down and closed his eyes.

"It's time your venomous hide got skinned you bastard." He spoke, his voice muffled due to it being spoken from the bottom of his throat. Yet it traveled across the large space regardless, and signaled that things were about to escalate.

"You've been allowed to hide in your little facilities long enough… it's time to die…" He opened his eyes which glowed different colors, both of which glared at the human man with a ferocity not even the most animalistic of chiropterans could match. It was at this time that his voice rose into a shout.

"You disgusting piece of filth! This day won't be over until you've been torn into nothing but scraps and fed to the lowliest chiropteran I can find!"

"Saying such things makes you sound weak."

Reeve growled at the response.

"Like I give a damn." He spoke, the monstrous chiropterans from within the cargo planes erupting from their shipping containers and lunging over the rows of mass-produced chevaliers, uttering horrific sounds at the man who was the subject to their king's wrath. As they did, Reeve felt the handles of both his sword and Nathan's.

"I'm going to thrust these straight through that smirking face of yours." He thought. Reeve took a deep breath, and then he gave a roar which no longer sounded anything remotely human. And with that, the eyes of all the other chiropterans present, including the true chevaliers and even the queens, began to glow.

The monstrous forms of the ape- like chiropterans surged forth and the battle had officially begun as the continuous crack of gunfire joined the horrific roars. The huge bodies absorbed hundreds of bullets and began to crystallize before they'd even run a few yards, while amongst them James' transformed body appeared and dozens of bullets ricocheted off of his armored form as he charged with the remaining monstrous chiropterans and the true soldiers of the army began their advance on both the ground and in the sky. As the general of the one army joined the front lines, Solomon, Haji, and Saya all charged out towards their enemies as well, while Kai, David and Luis remained behind the line of soldiers to provide backup fire.

It was all Reeve could do to keep himself still as he watched the huge battle unfold in front of him, and saw the bastard smirking on the other side of it, obviously not feeling even remotely threatened by the lethal force of chiropterans. His entire body trembled in anger, but more specifically his left hand did. A slender one slid its fingers in-between his own and he felt his body relax, if only a little, at Diva's touch. They couldn't smile at each other anymore, not now. But it _did_ calm him down somewhat and allowed the young chevalier to contain his rage as the soldiers continued firing their lethal weapons, joined by the Gatling gun crews from within the helicopters.

The deaths of the dim-witted chiropterans were meaningless; their purpose was to act as a meat shield, absorbing gunfire and not allowing it to harm the more intelligent ones. Cold, perhaps, but then again, in war there was no morality, just what killed the enemy and what did not; all that mattered was ultimate victory, regardless of the losses.

Amongst the sounds of crystallizing chiropteran bodies and the erupting fire from automatic weapons, he saw a soldier draw back and grasp something behind his back.

"Oh?" He thought as the same nameless soldier pulled a grenade from his waist and pulled the pin on it before tossing it in the direction of the battle. Coincidentally, it went over the approaching horde of chiropterans, towards Reeve and Diva. His left hand drew up from Diva's and he brought it back before the monstrous thing thrust forward and struck the grenade on a straight path through the battle and into the skull of the thrower. Even over the sounds of battle, Reeve could hear the distinctive sound of his skull being broken by the impact, only to be blown to pieces by the point blank explosion of the grenade, damaging a number of other soldiers as well.

"An opening!" James' altered voice spoke as he aimed a massive arm forward, signaling for a squadron of melee units to lunge into the gap in defenses so as to cause further disruptions as crimson spikes fired into the ranks of humans. The lethal barrage did just as much if not more damage to them as the volley of gunfire had to the chiropterans. The battle seemed to switch sides as the chiropterans began to dole out some casualties, however, the chiropterans on the other side of the battle had become a factor in the equation as well as the chevaliers fought alongside their chosen queen, who killed one chiropteran after another. Reeve realized that those three were the crucial factors in the battle, as they were the only ones able to fight effectively in close quarters.

As the chiropterans drew closer and closer, the soldiers abandoned their primary weapons and switched over to handguns and knives. It would allow them to be more maneuverable, but their main hope had lie in the initial barrage. Once it came down to a match of physical abilities, blood-infused weapons or not, chiropterans were just plain superior.

Reeve closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the battle; gunshots, blades slicing into flesh, the crunching of bones, the screams of the dying; they all mixed together and coalesced into what resembled a chaotic symphony. Some might find it horrific, others saddening, still others might find it sickly beautiful. Yet to the leader of the chiropteran army, it bore no significance until he noticed what he had been waiting for. The only sound of any consequence, or rather the lack of the sound, was when the noise of gunshots finally ceased for good. His eyes opened once again as the humans' "instant kill" capabilities ceased and he stepped forward, towards the battle. As he did so, however, a hand grabbed his like before, and he looked back at Diva. The girl looked worried, but his own gaze betrayed no fear.

"I'll be back soon." He told her.

Reeve didn't wait for the girl's acknowledgement or permission as he pulled away from her grip and drew both swords from their sheaths. His jaw tightened and he lunged up into the air above the battle, drawing attention from yet another grenade-equipped soldier through the same manner of explosive at him as before. Reeve bisected the device twice, once with each sword, and traveled past it as the thing detonated behind him, giving the man enough momentum to propel himself away from the cloud of dispersed blood. Before the soldier could so much as ready himself, Reeve had landed and cut him in two. Not a second went by before he'd liberated another man of first a limb, and then his life.

His gaze drew up towards his sole target; he was the reason this entire battle was taking place. The grinning man, who stood amongst the loyal members of Saya's little "troupe" hadn't changed his demeanor since the beginning of the battle, despite the fact that his side was now losing. The arrogant man probably still thought he could win, or likely had some cheap little trick up his sleeve.

"It's of no consequence if you don't survive long enough to implement your little plan."

Reeve thought as he charged the man like a bull towards a newly-painted red barn. As he ran for the murderous bastard, however, something got in his way, and he noticed what looked like mass-produced chevaliers wearing crimson clothing and armed with swords with a red sheen to them get in his way.

"The prototypes he stole before." Reeve acknowledged in his mind, not slowing his pace in the least as he drew closer to Maxim's bodyguard ensemble. Nathan's sword clashed with the one held by his closest opponent, while his own struck the two blades to offset the proxy chevalier's balance enough for a solid kick to send the thing to the ground as two more closed on him, one on either side. He blocked each of their swords with one of his own, and as they put more muscle into forcing his guard down, he fell back and away from them, allowing their blades to continue forward and slash into the other as he reestablished his root on the ground long enough to leap forward again and lop their heads off. As he saw their bodies fall to the ground he felt another enemy coming up behind him, and kicked away the blade that he knew would be coming as he twisted his body around and cut through the proxy at the shoulder and at the waist, downing yet another imitation chevalier.

"You're bound to run out of these things eventually, you weak trash." He thought while turning towards Maxim once again.

His katana impaled itself through the proxy which he'd kicked down before Nathan's blade severed the thing's head from the rest of his body. And as he withdrew his sword from the ground Reeve glared up at the man once more. As before, though, he noticed no change in expression and realized why as he felt two sharp objects heading for him from behind. He turned around in a flash and blocked both with his swords, noting the shining blue color of the blade which Nathan's sword clashed with, and the dull red and black look of the claw which struggled with the other. His attackers, Solomon and Haji, tried to push the man off-balance but he held his own.

"Well, imagine meeting you two here." He spoke, his tone momentarily lacking seriousness as he drew back and then pushed both of them away, his eyes glowing once again.

"We will not let you destroy the world." Haji stated, his tone as flat as always.

"Destroy the world, huh? The ignorance of you 'good guys' never ceases to astonish."

Before he spoke again, Reeve was standing behind the dark-haired man, and spoke sharply.

"I'm not _destroying_ the world; I'm _saving_ it."

His opponent attempted to turn around and deflect his attack, but his swords sliced two paths through the man's chest regardless, and though they did not cut him into pieces like they had the others, the chevalier was weakened enough for Reeve to ram him to the ground, taking him out of the fight long enough to switch his attention over to Solomon.

"So, how've you been? Get very far with Saya yet?" Reeve asked, ignoring both courtesy and sensitivity, due to his lack of caring regarding the situation.

"That was not why I joined her."

"Oh? I thought you always had enough ink in your pen, enough snicker bars in the vending machines, enough toilet paper in the bathrooms…" He spoke, mocking the man.

"You are fully aware that my reason for joining Saya is much deeper than simply being unhappy with the way things were working."

"Regardless, you don't think it'll really matter, do you? A handful of humans pretending to be as strong as chiropterans will never be able to defeat them; they're outclassed. If they can train soldiers to fire guns faster than we can create more chiropterans… well… then we'll just have to kill them while we still have a few left won't we?"

Haji rose once more and the two formed up on Reeve. Once again they leapt towards him as he did the same, and the sharp objects which they fought with clashed in the air, causing sparks to fly as the struggled once more. Reeve leaned in closer, less than a foot away from both of them, and then his arrogant demeanor disappeared.

"Get Saya to one of the planes' holds." He instructed them, causing both chevaliers to become confused.

"There isn't enough time to tell you why; just make sure that anyone important is on a plane within a minute."

He gave them no further instructions as Reeve dropped his swords and stepped past the two chevalier, close-lining them and taking hold of his swords again all in the span of a few seconds. As the loyal men fell to the ground he once more approached Maxim, and drew back his swords to rend the man to pieces. As the blades swung, however, he felt one get struck and depart from his grip, and heard the thing whistling through the air as it spun and spun, flying off behind him as he brought back the one which he still held, the katana. In front of Reeve stood a red-eyed girl with a bloody katana, patches of it colored in what looked like dirtied crystal; it was the blood of the chiropterans which she had slain.

"It would seem you weren't as unstoppable as you might have thought, huh kid?"

Reeve scowled as he observed the girl in front of him and her friends and family which stood on either side of him, reloading their weapons.

"In the end; nothing more than a naïve boy."

The hand which had held Nathan's sword, his right one, trembled.

"You really thought I would put all of my faith into a full-on battle?" He asked the man, seeming to shake his confidence.

"Your mistake was assuming I was just another emo kid that hated the world. The problem with that…" Reeve spoke as the corners of the battlefield suddenly began to blink red lights and loud electronic beeps sounded out into the air.

"Is that you're very, very wrong."

Just as Maxim began to scowl, Reeve felt the corners of his mouth twitch upwards. He turned about and leapt over the battlefield to land back by the plane in which he had arrived.

"In less than two minutes this entire area will be first blown to pieces and then incinerated with napalm. Following that, a nuclear module will be brought here and detonated to clear out the last evidence of this battle and everything that took part in it." He spoke, his voice somehow echoing across the battlefield and terrorizing the few humans who were capable of paying attention to the sound of his voice.

"Enjoy your next… one hundred and thirteen seconds." He spoke, walking up the "ramp" of the plane and telling the pilots to prepare for takeoff again. As he walked up towards the bay of the plane he noticed Reeve's sword impaled in a stack of crates that were held within it. Reeve gazed at the blade, which even now still somehow managed to shine. Reeve withdrew the sword from the crates and placed it against his forehead, feeling the warmth of the metal as the seconds clicked down and he knew Saya's chevaliers were transporting herself and those who were important to her towards the planes of Reeve's company, which had kept their engines on for the entirety of the battle due to his full intent to use them to get away from the explosion.

"Well you terrible bastard…" He spoke, looking over at Maxim as the man rushed to prep a helicopter for takeoff.

"Sayonara!" He shouted, glaring as he threw the blade all across the battlefield and into the cockpit of the helicopter in which Maxim resided, pinning one of the man's hands to the console of the thing and striking down into the engine, removing both his capability to leave the helicopter as well as his ability to start it up.

"It's a distant second to cutting off his limbs, one by one, but I guess it'll have to do." He thought to himself as he walked all the way into the bay of the plane, followed by Diva. As they both walked towards the cabin of the plane, they heard three sets of footsteps land in the very same craft, and turned back towards the source of the sounds. As expected, Saya, Haji and Solomon stood in the large cargo plane with them, all looking like they were still ready to fight. However, as a monstrous form with glowing red eyes appeared behind them and snatched the two chevaliers from the plane, Saya was left to fight alone while James charged the men into another plane to battle them there.

"Good job, soldier." He thought regarding the man's reliability as the bay door began to close. Saya seemed a bit shaken at the knowledge that she now was going to have to fight alone, but nevertheless brought her sword up in front of her to guard as the plane began to move away from the battlefield.

The seconds counted down and he thought of nothing but the bleeding man struggling to free himself from the helicopter, trapped within it by the very blade of the person whom he had trapped in death within this war to begin with. It wasn't suitably graphic, or painful, but it was certainly appropriate.

Saya stood, maintaining her balance as both Reeve and Diva did theirs while the plane began to travel up into the air. It started to carry them away from the battle and the rest of its participants as Reeve's watch beeped a few times and finally was met with the sounds of an enormous explosion. The turbulence from it shook the plane, causing Saya to stumble somewhat, as the land below and behind them was wracked with damage, soon to be first burned and then obliterated completely by the incoming bombers.

The girl with the glowing red eyes wielding her katana regained her balance and faced off with the king and queen of the new world as their "carriage" carried them off into the sky.


	55. Flight of the phoenix

"Neither of you will interfere with Reeve's plans." James told them as the bay door closed on the plane in which they were located.

Both chevaliers were obviously upset that they could not assist their queen, but it was an undeniable truth that she was on her own now. At least until the planes set down at whatever location they were headed to.

"What is Reeve Roswell planning?" Solomon asked of James, who had yet to change back to human form.

"His intentions are of no consequence to you; now that you are separated from her, your part in this is over."

"You will tell us what he intends to do to Saya." Solomon spoke, threatening to attack James once more.

"There is no point in the three of us fighting anymore; it has lost all meaning. Now that Saya is alone, the last part of his plan shall go into effect."

"What do you mean?"

James' monstrous form began to shrink and his skin began to look less like armor.

Ultimately, he returned to his human form, and he stood up as straight as he could.

"Now it will all end. Prepare yourselves; this tiresome, pointless war will finally come to a close."

* * *

"Tell me, do you really believe that humans deserve to be saved?" Reeve asked Saya as he sheathed his katana and walked a few steps towards her; it did not bear much significance, as there were yards in-between them.

"I told you once before; I have to fight to protect humans from chiropterans."

"But why?" He questioned her.

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"What do you mean?"

"There is no such thing as a "have to" beyond death. Not one thing in this world has an obligation to do anything; the only difference is that humans delude themselves into believing that they 'must do this' or that they 'have to do that'. In reality, they merely aren't willing to accept the responsibility of making a decision."

The glowing hue of his eyes ceased as he continued.

"The fact that you are delusional enough to believe in the fallacies of human beliefs just goes to show how far gone you are. However, it doesn't need to be that way; you don't have to continue fighting on the humans' side. You can come over to the side on which you belong-"

"Stop."

He ceased his movement, as well as his talking, at her command.

"Solomon once tried to get me to join the chiropteran side, and I told him the same thing I'll tell you; I will kill chiropterans to protect humans. And that is my decision."

At first Reeve just looked disappointed, but then he sighed.

"There really is no way to open your eyes, is there?"

Diva's eyes widened slightly as something took hold of her. Before she knew it, she had been thrown into the cabin, and the door had been closed and locked behind her from the cargo bay.

Saya sensed an opening, and began to rush forward, but Reeve suddenly whipped around, his eyes glowing with both energy and anger as he yelled at her.

"You fool! All of this is your own fault! You claim that you have to fight, that you don't want to do this, but that it is necessary! But that's bullshit! You're the one that played out the events that led to the chiropterans and humans becoming more than just different species; you are the war between them made manifest. Your unending ignorance and infinite amount of naiveté, coupled with your everlasting life typifies the continuity of this idiotic war!"

Saya stopped in her tracks, once again overcome by the shear intensity of his hatred.

"It was you who released Diva from her cell, and it was you that didn't stay with her after she was released, allowing her to be led around by that bastard Amshel like a child raised by a madman. You're the one that chased her for hundreds of years with no thought of trying to help her, but only to kill her; to clean her up like some kind of accidental spill. But she is not some random source of ignorance for you to prey upon and I am not going to allow you to continue this destructive little tantrum of yours!"

He threw his sheathed sword across the bay, into the wall of the cabin as his left hand tensed and caused his knuckles to crack.

"I do not tolerate either ignorance or weakness! If Diva's change is not enough for you and the world, then I will change you and the world for Diva!"

He lunged across the cargo bay and struck at her sword with his claw, forcing the girl back several feet. As she readied herself again she saw that he was facing down towards the floor.

The young man felt something drip from his eyes and looked up at her again.

"I refuse…" He spoke, his voice vacant of anger now.

"I refuse to allow you or anyone else to continue putting her through all of this pain and suffering when all she wants to do is be happy and be loved."

Saya was shaking now, but he imagined it had nothing to do with either fear or anger. The girl drew a hand up her blade, coating it in her blood once more as he brought up his left hand.

There were a few moments of relative silence, though they could both hear Diva trying to get through the cabin door. It was fortunate that he had not given her a large amount of blood today, otherwise she would have easily been able to do so. It was also fortunate because one way or another, one of the people whom she loved was going to die.

A large drop of blood on Saya's sword slid down it, silently descending towards the tip of the blade. The seconds seemed longer and it looked as if the blood was moving slower and slower as time passed. Finally, it dripped from the sword onto the floor, and they leapt at each other.

In the air steel met diamond, though Saya had learned from the last time they "fought" that she should not strike with the sharp side of the blade, as it would just become dull, so instead she had struck with the blunt side. She was using both hands, but Reeve was outright naturally stronger, so it was quite an even match for a few seconds, before he leaned back on his left leg, brought the right one up, bent it, and side-kicked the girl in stomach, likely crushing her intestines for a few moments. Saya stumbled back, just barely keeping her sword up

"That can't be the extent to which you're willing to fight." He spoke in admonishment.

Somehow Saya struggled to her feet, and readied herself again.

"Do you know where we're headed?" He asked her.

"Why does it matter?" She asked in a cough."You'll find out soon enough."

Reeve speared forward, stopping just out of range of her attack as she slashed horizontally, and then he stepped towards the girl, grabbing her arm with both hands and going beneath it to end up on her other side. He pulled up on her arm, causing the girl to resist, and then pulled down sharply, dislocating her arm, causing her to cry out in pain, and making her drop her sword in the process, before he swept her legs out from under her with one of his own. He drew up a leg into the air, covering his pelvis with a hand to protect it as he did so, and then brought his heel down like an axe onto her chest, easily crushing the bones and organs within before he pulled his foot off of her.

"… how disappointing." He spoke solemnly as he began to walk away, back towards the cabin. As he did so, however, he heard Saya getting up.

"So this is how you fight; your enemies aren't willing to kill you so you just keep getting up every time they refuse to finish you off and continue attacking them until you eventually get in a lucky hit."

"You can say whatever you'd like about me. About how I am, or how I live." She spoke, using her sword to help push herself up.

"But I have to continue fighting. Too much has happened for me to just lay down my sword or my life, regardless of whether what you say is true or not."

He turned back to face her.

"This _is_ all my fault, which is why I must continue fighting, for as long as I can."

"If that is the way that you truly feel… then you are far more pathetic than I had imagined. That you live for no reason other than to fight for something which will never be fixed shows your commitment to mindless fighting to avoid any true hardship; you would rather lose friends and family than accept true responsibility."

Her face was stone.

"Then if you find yourself responsible for everything brought about by the existence of chiropterans, does that mean you'll accept the wrath I've gathered since I became part of this 'war'?"

Saya did not respond.

"I'll take that as a yes." He said, bringing up his transformed hand and looking at it. The thing was the mark of how much he'd been eaten away since he'd become part of this species. It was his reminder of what he had suffered, and how low he'd fallen. More than anything else though, it was a symbol of his hatred. And he had stored all of his hatred in it since the day he was cursed with the thing.

He gazed at it a few moments longer, and then it began to tremble, and his jaw clenched. And he glared at the girl as if he were an animal. Despite the resoluteness in her gaze even she flinched when he turned his gaze back upon was gone. He had been standing in front of the cabin door not a second ago, but in half of that he had crossed the space between them and struck the sword from her hands before she could so much as ready it. Before the girl could even realize what he'd done his right hand leapt up and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her up into the air as it did so. The girl choked as her breath was forced from her lungs, and soon saliva was being coughed out by her with the air. He could have killed her then and there, but not yet…

"That's all?" He spat at her before throwing the girl into another wall of the carrier plane, just barely controlling himself enough so that it wouldn't rupture. It did, however, create an immense dent in the heavy metal, and when Saya rolled down to the ground in a heap she had barely begun to feel nauseous before he was above her.

His left hand grabbed for her back, the pure carbon of it naturally going through both her skin and her muscle and creating makeshift "handholds" in her body as he gripped her spine and threw her back across the cargo bay, causing the girl to skid along the hard metal surface of the floor.

He glared at her as she crawled away from him, still vainly trying to reach her sword. It filled him with disgust; she was just like an ant, an ant which didn't know how to do anything other than it was told, even if it was made evident that it would fail.

"It's not just you…" He spoke, his voice gruff.

"This entire world is filled with nothing but noise; chaff; wastes of space which serve to do nothing more than consume resources and put them into mindlessly killing others and continuing their own disgusting bloodlines. They do so without thought and without consideration. One might even say they are no different than bugs."

Saya reached her sword and turned back towards him, but she was still on the floor, and her look of determination was equally mixed with fear.

"You realize that you are going to die; that I can kill you at any time. And yet you continue to fight. For what reason? Because you 'have' to? Or because something told you to? Regardless, for all of your genetic superiority over humans, you think for yourself no more than they do."

Saya rose, and brought her sword up again, not saying a word.

"I'll crush you. Burn you. You'll be reduced to nothing but ash! And the human race along with you! And from that otherwise useless ash shall arise a world full of people that will think for themselves, live forever, and have an infinite resource supply from which to draw. It won't be until then that the world will be free of its albatrosses and will finally be able to once again continue to evolve itself."

The girl paid him no heed, and began to charge, her wounds already healed.

"But to do that…"

She swung her sword at him, only for Reeve's left hand to catch it and force the base of the blade dull.

"You have to go first."

Saya had just enough time to widen her eyes before Reeve's palm thrust into her chest and sent her hurtling through the door of the cabin, and into the pilot's control console, rendering the part which she had collided with inoperable.

Diva was standing not a foot from the doorway, and gazed at him, but his eyes only looked at Saya, still glowing like blazing fires, demanding the naïve and worthless girl's sacrifice.

His eyes drifted upwards, and a grin flashed across his face as he realized they were heading for a city. Upon this realization he widened his stance, and rooted himself to the floor. He closed his eyes and waited patiently as the cargo plane headed on a crash course for the middle of the city, and towards the end of the war.


	56. Skyscraper opera

The generic darkness of the sky in front of the plane was contrasted by the brilliant lighting from the city below, and as the plane's nose began to dip, the city's illumination became more and more of the sight which they saw as the cargo plane headed in a crash course for the streets below.

In their seats, the pilots scrambled to try and stabilize the plane, fearing for their lives, but Reeve already knew that they would crash; too much of the circuitry to change settings on the craft had been destroyed when he'd thrown Saya into it. He couldn't see her, she wasn't in the doorway, but it didn't really matter as it would take her some time to recover. Diva continued to stare at him, viewing him as if she were looking at something that she could not believe was there.

He could hear the turbulence beating at the sides of the plane as its uneven course pulled it further and further down towards the city, specifically in the direction of an especially large, and well-lit building.

Down below humans ran about like scared ants, all fleeing in terror of the "death from above" that the hurtling plane represented. Disgust brewed in him more than usual; watching the weak-willed humans scurry about to escape their fate reminded him all the more of the disgusting taste of this tainted planet.

As the pilots and the terrified people below screamed in fear, Reeve grinned in satisfaction, and their turbulent descent ceased as the plane crashed into the street below. As concrete and steel collided the floor bent upwards and the pilots flew out through the window along with other loosened pieces of the cabin. While this happened Reeve continued staring straight ahead, his mind as serene as it always was, despite his insane hatred at the moment. He couldn't see Diva, he couldn't see Saya; all he could see was the world burning down. It hadn't happened yet, but it would.

The plane continued grinding down into the pavement and slowed the craft's movement the deeper down it went. Eventually, with a loud screech and a mechanical wail, the downed airplane came to a stop.

Reeve lifted up his feet and checked his shoes to see if the "treads" in the bottom of them were still there, and then turned around towards the cargo door and walked over to the panel which would open it and pressed it. The door began to descend, but barely opened enough to fit the description of "ajar" and Reeve sighed with impatience before striking the thing with his right hand, knowing that his other one would just go through it. As expected, the heavy metal door was blasted outwards onto the street, off of whatever manner of mechanism had failed to get the thing out of his way.

He walked down onto the pavement and gazed around; people gazed in their direction like the curious little drones that they were. Some of them even seemed to recognize him, but it was of no consequence. Reeve walked around to the side of the aircraft to see the large building which they had crashed near, and almost chuckled when he realized what it was.

"The 'Met' huh?" He asked the old building before he walked to and then up the steps. In the background humans could be heard chattering, but they faded away from his mind due to their lack of importance. He heard other footsteps follow him as he headed towards the metropolitan opera house, and due to the speed at which the steps were taken, he knew it must be Diva. Reeve did not slow down, as he likely would have done before. Diva's footsteps did not increase in pace either, and the two of them entered the opera house's lobby at different times.

"Quite attractive, isn't it?" He asked, though to nothing in particular, as he viewed the vacant lobby.

The entire theater was likely a ghostly building now, as the audience and cast had likely been evacuated when the plane crashed, so they would have this whole pretty place to themselves.

"Such a fine place to die," he thought, imagining Saya in his head. "I wonder if it's a bit too fine."

The reality of the matter's irrelevancy quickly became realized by him, and he continued through the magnificent lobby to the famous theater hall, donned in red and the lights dimmed. Reeve gazed out at the seats, both those that stood on the floor, and the ones in the balcony; no one remained.

Their steps echoed throughout the massive theater hall as they walked down the aisle towards the stage. Far behind, he could hear steps running up the steps towards the lobby. Judging by the hasty pace, it was easy enough to tell who it was.

Reeve leapt up onto the stage and began to walk towards the middle of it when he realized that Diva hadn't followed him, and his gaze drew upon her, unchanging from the moment before he saw her. It seemed to surprise her, but she remained still.

"Reeve, I don't know if we should-"

"We already decided on the plan. Now is not the time to make revisions."

"But-"

"If you can't go through with it then don't be a part of it; I'll take care of it myself. "

Her response was akin to one who had been hurt both physically and mentally at the same time.

"Don't talk like that…"

"She is a threat; threats are destroyed so that they can no longer hinder one's progress, it's simply logic."

"But you're not thinking normally! You're angry, so you aren't thinking well."

Reeve looked away from her and continued walking towards the stage, eventually she followed him up onto the stage and joined him at his side. They said nothing as they turned around to face the rest of the theater. Within a few moments the person whose fate had been questioned, Saya, opened the doors to the theater and rushed in, glaring up at them.

"Ah, and here you are, untimely as always." He remarked.

The hands which held her sword were trembling, as were her eyes, but her determination itself seemed to be unwavering. Despite the knowledge that he could easily kill her, she was still determined to fight him.

"Hmph. Pathetic."

He heard thunder far off in the distance; from the sound of it, it would seem a thunder storm was headed their way. It was suitably dramatic, considering tonight the end of centuries of ignorant conflict would be realized.

Saya switched her sword so that the blade would face up, and cut her hand along the blade. As the blood traveled down through the channels carved into the sword, her eyes turned red once again.

"I'm sorry for what you've gone through, but for the sake of those who have lost their lives to chiropterans, and for those who I may save, I must kill you."

He sighed an impatient, irritated sigh, and pulled his katana out of his belt as he began to walk towards the edge of the stage. However, as he did so, and Saya showed signs of beginning her charge, Reeve felt a slender hand touch his own, and saw Diva's face.

"It's alright; I'll do it." She told him, gently pulling the sword from his grip.

"Diva! Get away! You don't understand what he's trying to do!"

It was her turn to walk forward, though Diva did not continue towards the edge of the stage after she'd taken her few short steps.

"I love him."

"He's evil! He doesn't even care about you anymore! All he cares about is destroying the world!"

Diva looked down at the floor of the stage.

"Even if that is so… he has given me the only moments of true happiness that I have ever known; I cannot let you kill him, no matter what."

"If you defend him I'm going to have to kill you too!" Saya exclaimed, a tone of regret in her voice.

Diva closed her eyes and got a sad smile for a moment.

"Not this time, Saya; I won't hold back."

Diva cut her own hand on the sword, and her blood slid down it. The blade was not

specially designed to contain blood, but it still held enough for any blow dealt on Saya to be a fatal one. Her eyes glowed blue as she gazed at her sister once again.

"Come on, big sister."


	57. Two queens

I know this chapter is extremely short, but I neither could think of a long battle scene, nor do I think it would have been appropriate, considering this isn't about the fighting. I may add on to this at a later time, but for now, here is the fight between the two sisters, however short it may be.

* * *

Saya charged up to the stage and leapt atop it, and the twins prepared to finish this battle which should have ended long ago.

The elder twin advanced up the aisle, her sheath far behind her, and Diva waited near the edge of the stage. Reeve seemed to have disappeared, but for some reason, even now, she did not think he would come out to attack her. Perhaps even in the sad state he was in now, he had some manner of honor left.

Diva continued gazing down at her sister as her elder twin approached the stage, and hoped that Reeve would realize that she was doing this to protect him, and perhaps, on some level, still be capable of caring.

With a shout Saya lunged onto the stage, striking at Diva who blocked with her own sword while backing away. Saya's feet landed and she instantly sprung into another attack, swinging at Diva once more. Her sister suddenly stopped backing up and pushed at Saya's sword, pushing her off balance before Diva swung her sword down, forcing her elder twin to block. They struggled for control, both pushing as hard as they could against the other, until they both managed to push the other back several feet, with Saya landing on the very edge of the stage and once again off-balance.

Diva's eyes glowed brighter with the realization of the opening, and she thrust forward with her sword aimed for the middle of Saya's chest. As she regained her footing, Saya struck Diva's sword to the side and slashed towards her sister's chest with her own, forcing the girl to duck.

Before Saya could react, Diva tripped her with a leg and lunged onto her sister, their swords clashing once more. The blood on each of their swords splattered on the stage, as well as their clothing and even in their hair, with a single drop of Saya's blood reaching Diva's lip. However, it merely dripped from her face down onto her sister's, no attention having been paid to it by the blue eyed girl.

"Diva! Please! We shouldn't be doing this!"

"_You _shouldn't be trying to kill _Reeve_!"

"He's _evil_!"

Diva's eyes flared and she grabbed the back of Saya's sword before using her hand and her own sword as leverage to throw both swords away. The weapons hadn't even landed on the stage before Diva's palm struck down onto her sister's face.

"Don't say that! You were wrong about me, and you're wrong about _him_!"

Saya hit Diva back, but that only served to make her attack again, getting another response. Before they knew it, they were tearing at each other, and their blood gathered in the opposing sister's fingernails. They ignored the fact that with each tear they made they could quite possibly kill their twin or themselves, until finally Saya got her feet up under Diva and pushed her away. They began to get up again, both breathing heavily.

"You were different; the things that you did were what were evil, not your intent. But what Reeve_ intends_ to do is _hurt _people! He isn't doing it because he needs to in order to survive! He's doing it because he's a cruel person!"

Diva barely told her body to move before she'd shoved Saya to the ground. However, this time all she did was stand over the girl, tears welling up in her eyes.

"You don't understand a single thing _about _him! All of this he's done for _me_! I was the reason he's been hurt so many times, why Nathan died, and so many other things he's had to endure! He's been trying to change the world for me!"

Their breathing slowed, and Saya stood up again. Without so much as a glance, she turned away from Diva and walked over to where their swords had fallen, picking them both up.

"The world doesn't work that way, Diva. I'm sorry, but regardless of what intent he began with, his feelings have become corrupted. That is why I have to kill him."

Diva trembled in both sadness and anger at the same time as Saya turned back towards her.

"You've made your decision, and now you will have to accept responsibility for it." Saya stated before tossing Reeve's sword to her. As she caught the weapon it felt heavier than before.

"We will never be able to live together so long as he is alive and intends to hurt people."

Diva gazed down at the ground for a few moments.

"Then…." She began, drawing her hand across her sword once more. Saya did the same, with the glow returning to their eyes.

"There is nothing more to say." Saya finished.

The thunder they had heard before sounded out once more, and struck a section of the roof between them, causing pieces of the ceiling to fall down and for rain to patter down on to the stage.

Diva's and Saya's eyes narrowed a moment before another strike of lighting bolted out, and then they flared, and the two shouted as they ran forward and plunged their swords at each other, their voices falling away as their swords penetrated and made them both go numb.


	58. Waking Dream

Another version of this may eventually be done, but for now, here is the final chapter of Waking Dream.

* * *

Silence fell over them as their very heart rates slowed. The rain had left, and with it the thunder and the lightning. People had ceased their screaming and now nothing seemed to make a sound, neither inside the theater, nor out. However, something occurred that caused the silence to end, and with a quiet, yet somehow resounding sound, blood dripped down both of the blades and landed on the stage floor. A few moments after that, the sound of crystallizing, which both sisters had been waiting for since the beginning of the battle, began. But it was not happening as they had expected, and as both twins withdrew their swords, Diva dropped hers and screamed. Reeve observed, with an amount of sadness he'd forgotten he was capable of, that it sounded sadder than any part of her song that she had ever sung in front of him.

"No! Reeve! Please! Help! Saya…"

He'd made the decision to face Saya for a selfish reason before, and regretted doing the same now. As he fell backwards into Diva's arms, however, he noticed that it was alright to forgive himself for those mistakes.

In their ears the sounds of crystallizing chiropteran flesh continued, and Diva held the areas near where he had been stabbed as best she could, as if stopping the bleeding which had already ceased would save his life. Strangely enough, it didn't hurt; he merely felt his body going numb and hard as Saya's blood began to circulate throughout his bloodstream.

"You can't! Please, don't!" She pleaded with him, bringing the young man closer to her and wrapping her arms around him.

"W- Why did you do that?" Saya asked him, unable to keep herself from asking the question due to the limited time in which she had to ask it, despite the insensitivity of it.

His eyes, as hard as it was to gaze in the direction opposite Diva, traveled down from the ceiling and stared at Saya.

"I told you once that what I wanted most was to bring an end to this ridiculous war that produced nothing from it but pain and misery… soon, I'll have succeeded."

Diva's breath got caught in her throat as Saya asked him what he meant.

"The "war"… was never between you two. Your symbols as the head of both chiropteran bloodlines made you "figureheads" for the struggle, but when it came down to it, the true war was between the Red Shield and Amshel."

It was fortunate for him that the crystallization seemed to be spreading only downward for now, as it gave him more time to explain.

"When that last Joel died, the way the war was waged changed. And when I killed Amshel it changed once more… when Nathan died it is true that all I could think about was killing first Maxim, and then Amshel, but he taught me that sometimes, in order to help make someone happy, you have to be willing to sacrifice your own happiness and, if necessary, your ability to feel happiness; your life."

Saya's expression was clouded in confusion, as if searching for something in the fog, but then her eyes widened as she realized what he was saying.

"My true objective, from the moment I decided to build up what had become my company, was to put an end between the war between the humans and the chiropterans. When I arranged for the sterilization of the area in which we fought, and the inevitable deaths of all present there, I eliminated the current combatants. And once the area has been completely "cleansed" the areas in which chiropteran-related technology was being held will be erased, by either explosion or other methods of irrecoverable destruction. And with me… the last connection to the war will be over."

"You didn't have to do that! You could have done all of that and stayed with me!" Diva cried.

Reeve finally moved both his head and his eyes to face Diva, and felt his face grow wet as her tears spilled from her own.

"I'm sorry, Diva. But you know me," he spoke, attempting some manner of a smile." "I'm far too serious for my own good; I was making the decisions, and the war wouldn't be over unless the last connection to it was gone."

"But Saya and I-"

"Neither of you were ever a true part of the war." He spoke, regretfully interrupting her as his feet finished turning to stone.

"Regardless of your participation in it, from the very beginning, you two were just helpless victims caught up in it and forced to act during it."

"So then, when you talked about destroying the world."

"To an extent… I meant every word of it."

Though his words were far less pitiable than the others had, Saya did not grow angry.

"But I promised Diva once that I would do whatever it took to help make her happy."

Her lips trembled as he rose his left hand up towards her cheek and she touched it with her own, his torso beginning to crystallize now as well.

"No! I want to be with you! I don't care about anything else!"

"You do… you were just willing to put up with it so long as I was with you."

He gave a heavy sigh as he lay back against her more, his arms already being affected by the crystallization.

"But I didn't want that; for all of the happiness I experienced, the knowledge that you were merely enduring a life which was still full of sadness, just because I was able to provide you with enough happiness to withstand it… I couldn't handle it."

As his body continued deteriorating, he felt something beginning to change.

"Diva… for leaving you, I truly am sorry; it was never my intention to hurt you or allow yourself to be hurt. And with my death… I know that in a way I'll have failed you."

Her entire body trembled as he caressed her cheek with his hand, his right arm long gone.

"But I… I hope that now you will be able to live happily, with your sister, like you should always have been able to do."

When the crystallization reached the changed part of his left arm, something strange happened; instead of changing to stone, the pieces of it fell off until, at last, his real hand could be seen once again. It was then that he realized the truth of that gift he had received; all of this time he had always considered the change a curse, a blight to mark him for his corruption. But now he realized that it was merely a seal of his unchanging determination, a badge which marked him as different and gave him the power to go through all of his problems, no matter how difficult they were. Now that he no longer needed that strength anymore, it was allowed to fall away, and allow his core to shine through. Instead of being comforted by the change, however, Diva only seemed to be more saddened by it and held his body tightly close to her.

"But you never got the chance to be happy! You-"

"My happiness is your happiness." He spoke to her, a weak smile on his face as they gazed into each other's non-glowing, real eyes.

"Knowing that I've made it possible for you to be happy is all that matters to me."

His neck trembled as the crystallization spread to his lungs and she hugged him to her even tighter.

"I… used to think that my usual life was just a worthless dream, and that being with you was the only time that life felt real." He told her as his voice lost strength.

"…But now I see…it wasn't that things were real when I was around you, but that I was allowed to dream, to feel things beyond… the natural, real harshness of the world."

"Please!" She pleaded with him as his face began to change, but her attempt was in vain. No… not in vain.

"You were my fantasy in a world of reality; in useless truth, you were my purity. The cold world let go, and so too did its heartless memes…Giving way…"

He cried.

"…to my waking dream."

Diva cried his name once more, and then before he knew it, the dream had ended.

* * *

As the final crackling sounds stole away Reeve's life and left her holding his stone-like form, her crying did not cease. Her sadness did not recede with his death, nor should it have. Yet still, she felt something in her change. What is was, she was not entirely sure. But at the very least, Diva knew that she would try her best to be happy now, after all that Reeve had done.

Diva Goldsmith… Diva Rockwell… both had likely been forgotten by the world. None would remember her in a few years, save for those that had met her and still lived. It was the way Reeve had wanted it, so that she could live life as a person instead of as an outcast, or as a monster. Reeve had been her strongest tie to that life, and that that had been the case must have pained him unbearably, but with his death he'd set her free from the trap she had been caught in since she had been born. He had saved her life again. And yet she still felt an overwhelming sadness within her.

Saya stepped over to her and embraced the girl as she continued to cry and her tears fell down onto Reeve's face.

Her sadness filled in the hole of her heart, and she felt it solidify the cracks and mend them, hardening just as his body had.

"Diva… I'm sorry, but we need to go before the police arrive."

She nodded, and Saya stood up, still keeping a hand on her shoulder.

The girl put a hand to Reeve's cheek and managed to smile, despite the still-fading sadness.

"I won't say goodbye." She told him.

"Only that I am grateful and that I will love you forever, whether you are with me in body or not."

She tightened her hand on his once more, and then she pulled it away, and placed his arm on his chest.

"We'll find a way to get him, so that he can have a proper burial. I promise."

Diva maintained her smile and nodded.

"Alright."

She stood and gazed down at him.

"With a spirit like yours, I'll see you again some day. Until then…"

She felt all traces of sadness fade from her smile and her mind.

"Have a good sleep."

Along with Saya, Diva left the building and walked out into the world to experience it for herself, just as she had always wanted.


	59. Live

This an alternate ending to Waking Dream. To be honest, neither of them is particularly canon. Like any other story, it's how the reader interprets it and experiences it that means the most. With that in mind, I hope you enjoy this alternative ending to the story Waking Dream.

* * *

Silence fell over them as their very heart rates slowed. The rain had left, and with it the thunder and the lightning. People had ceased their screaming and now nothing seemed to make a sound, neither inside the theater, nor out. However, something occurred that caused the silence to end, and with a quiet, yet somehow resounding sound, blood dripped down both of the blades and landed on the stage floor. A few moments after that they both heard the distinctive cracking sound that signified a chiropteran's death.

Diva knew that she was unhurt, and she could tell by the feeling at the end of her blade that her weapon had not punctured Saya either. With that realization, and the sight of Reeve in front of her, her world shattered like glass as she realized the cracking sound was coming from him. However, neither of them had so much as gotten the chance to drop their swords before Reeve shifted, and they could see that their swords had just barely penetrated his diamond-like arm. Several moments passed, and then they confirmed that his arm was not crystallizing. Diva sighed in relief before realizing what was actually going on.

"That's enough." He spoke, his voice now in a whisper.

Saya began to pull her sword back when Reeve grabbed the blade and pulled it from her weakened hands. He did the same with Diva's, though she was too stunned to give any resistance. He tossed both weapons away beyond anyone's reach, and held his hands over the stage. Saya's blood dripped from one hand, and Diva's from the other.

"There is something you both need to know." He said as small pools of Saya's and Diva's blood dripped onto the floor. Reeve crossed his hands and let a single drop of blood fall into the opposing sister's pool. As expected, Diva's blood began to crystallize as soon as Saya's dripped into it. However, when Diva's did the same within Saya's pool only the spot into which the blood had fallen crystallized. Both sisters gasped at the realization that only Saya's blood could kill Diva now, not the other way around.

"I'm not sure why it is, but something has changed in Diva's body. I saw it as you two fought and only Diva's blood would fully crystallize when it made contact."

They both remained silent as he continued.

"Saya, this war is all but over; with the majority of both sides having been decimated, as well as the facilities that were used to research yours and Diva's blood, as a long term problem, the infestation of mass-produced chiropterans is gone. In addition to that, Diva's blood no longer kills you. Feel how you will about those that remain. But the war between humans and chiropterans is at its end."

Diva sighed in relief; it seemed Reeve was finally going to let it all go.

"Unfortunately you were right about me to an extent; I do hate the human race, and I truly _do _want to destroy it. As such, I imagine I would still be considered your enemy."

Saya leaned in the direction of the swords, unsure of what his intention was. Diva meanwhile was preparing to get in front of Reeve so as to protect him from being hurt by Saya.

"I suppose that from the moral perspective I would be indebted to allowing you to kill me. After all, Diva and you won't be able to live and be happy together so long as you still have chiropterans to kill."

Both of them were surprised and Diva leapt in front of Reeve, facing him instead of Saya.

"How can you say that? I would never want to live in a world without…"

Diva silenced herself as she saw Reeve's face was looking down. She didn't know if he felt too guilty to look her in the eyes, or if it was something. But as he began to tremble and his eyes became watery she felt her heart aching either way.

"But still… please forgive me."

Their astonishment rose even more at his plea.

"I know I've hurt a lot of people. And I honestly don't care. I also know that if it weren't for me things probably wouldn't have ended up like this, for better or for worse. But I _also _know that I have made Diva happy, and that now I could let go of my war on the world for her sake. So please…"

His tears reached his chin and then fell to the stage, running into the pools of blood. He finally looked up at Saya, both of his eyes pleading more than his tone could ever convey.

"Hasn't she been through enough? Haven't enough people died for the sake of this war?"

Diva felt herself responding to Reeve's sorrow and felt tears welling up in her own eyes as Saya experienced her own sense of sadness remembering everyone who had died so that the violence might end.

"If I have to die for this to all end, I will… I'm not afraid of death for my own sake. But I've seen my best friend die twice now. Once by my own hands. And I can tell you that no one- _no one_ deserves that kind of torment. Let alone the person that I love the most in the world."

Diva put her head against his chest and held onto him, not willing to let him go. In the end though, it all seemed to be up to Saya. It was ironic that she had been playing judge, jury and executioner for chiropterans for nearly her entire life now, and now she would be faced with an actual "trial".

The girl stood there, thinking over the situation and what Reeve had told her. Finally, a decision was made. However, it wasn't by Saya. Instead it came from a bullet that tore through Reeve's side. He felt to his knees with Diva still holding onto him, and everyone turned to see who the shooter was. Reeve's sadness gave way to hatred as they all saw it to be Maxim Kirill. His one hand was still bleeding through a haphazard bandage he had constructed and he looked like he had been in the trenches of a war somewhere else before arriving, but the accursed man was still alive.

"I'll make it real simple for you." He spoke roughly before shooting Reeve again, this time catching him in the chest as the young man fell back and clutched his breast. As he grappled with the pain the possibility that it could be a bullet with Saya's blood in it revealed itself to Diva and once more she was terrified for him.

"That's right, you little shit! Die!" The man shouted at him.

The pain intensified for a few moments before it evaporated, and Reeve was left speechless as he actually felt his energy return. Both Diva and Saya were shocked that he had survived, but he could feel it… the blood… it wasn't from Saya. It was within the same strain, but he recognized it to be different; it was Nathan's.

Maxim was infuriated that the bullets weren't working and pulled the trigger again, only for the gun to jam and for the blood to fly into his face, blinding the man temporarily. With his friend's help from beyond the grave, Reeve rose from the stage and leapt to the floor, running up the aisle towards the man. He grabbed his sword from the floor before lunging towards his enemy. He had to admit that he was glad the bastard had survived; killing him personally would be far better.

However, as he neared the man Maxim dropped the gun and pulled something from behind his back, the very same sword Nathan had used to save Reeve before and that Reeve had used to pin Maxim's hand to the helicopter. It dripped with blood, but he had a feeling that it wasn't Nathan's.

"Come on, you little bastard. I might be human but I've got more than enough experience to stick you with this once or twice."

Reeve scowled as he fought with Maxim. It was likely that he could have used his chiropteran strength to overwhelm the man, but he wanted to win the fight on his own strength. He'd finally been given the opportunity to avenge his friend's and his _own _death, and he wasn't going to waste it.

Maxim managed to slice Reeve's clothes a few times, but neither had made any progress as memory flashed before his eyes…

_"You should just give up, Nathan. We both know you're too much of a brawler to beat me at this." A young Reeve told his friend. _

_ The black-haired "brother" had soundly defeated his blonde counterpart several times already but like always the elder didn't give up. _

_ "You shouldn't be so confident, bro. I haven't been trying."_

_ "Hmph. You think you can get by with that excuse, huh? We'll see." He spoke, striking at Nathan- and feeling the tip of the elder boy's sword poke against the space between his ribs. His expression widened as he realized his friend could have beaten him the whole time. _

_ "But then why didn't you…"_

_ "Well I can't let you get too far ahead of me in this kind of stuff. How am I supposed to protect you if I can't even beat you?"_

_ Reeve sighed before asking him why he would show him that technique then if he needed to keep his secrets to himself._

_ "Simple; if this move ever saves you it'll all be 'cause of me." Nathan told him with a big toothy smile..._

Reeve spun into a crouch, avoiding Maxim's attack as he drove his sword between the man's ribs. Kirill spat out blood as he jolted. Reeve spun once again, this time rising and taking Nathan's sword and holding it above his head.

"Even now you save my life. I really am a hopeless case." He thought before bringing the weapon down through Maxim Kirill's body. The man didn't gasp, nor did he cry out in pain; he simply scowled and fell backwards, dead. It wasn't what he deserved, but it would do.

Reeve was frozen for over a minute before bringing the sword up to his forehead and resting it against him.

"Thank you, Nathan. For the last time. Now it's my turn to do _you _a favor… and live like you'd wanted me to."

He pulled his own sword from Maxim's corpse and lifted them both up… before dropping the weapons to the ground and turning back, walking towards Saya and Diva on the stage.

His gait was different than usual; it was far more relaxed, as if he had just shrugged the weight of the world from his shoulders and strolled off for ice cream. He kept his gaze low as he reached the stage.

"Are you-" Diva began to say before Reeve interrupted her.

"Sorry… Diva."

Her face tightened in confusion, and she asked him why he was apologizing. Reeve finally looked up at her and her eyes went wide as he smiled at her like he used to when she, Nathan and him had spent their days together.

"I was gone for quite a while, wasn't I?" He asked her.

Diva began to tremble before she jumped off the stage, crashing into him and hugging the boy as tightly as she could, crying in his arms.

"I missed you so much!" She cried into his chest. Reeve simply smiled and held her tightly.

"I know… I'm sorry, Diva."

As the girl cried into his chest a thought seemed to pass through his mind.

"So… what do you say, Saya? Would you mind giving it a second chance?"

Saya stood there, frozen.

"Living for today, looking forward to tomorrow… and never forgetting to smile."

The red-eyed girl's face burst into tears as she fell to her knees, finally knowing that the fighting was over. At the same time Reeve touched Diva's chin and pulled it up for her to face him.

"We don't have to live in our own tower anymore, Diva. Confined in it as if it were a fortress instead of a prison; a nightmare too terrifying to continue, but too familiar to end."

Diva gazed longingly into his eyes as his smile deepened.

"But every nightmare comes to an end. We can only linger in our own worlds for so long before we have to step outside."

He kissed her before hugging the girl to him.

"Sooner or later, we all have to awaken from our dreams."


End file.
